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"Actions speak louder than words and infinitely louder than cute posters."

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"Actions speak louder than words and infinitely louder than cute posters."

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University of California, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA

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Traditional education places great emphasis on how students acquire and process knowledge and skills. Values-Based Education (VBE) puts an equal emphasis on personal and social development. VBE creates a positive-values-leaning environment for students and staff, creating an experience that helps everyone develop personal and interpersonal capacities in a number of ways:

Values Consciousness: Helps teachers think more deeply about their teaching and become aware about the values that they model both in and outside of the classroom. Students report how values consciousness impacts their behavior and actions, which become more altruistic (i.e., showing selfless concern for the well-being of others).

Ms. Branson's values:

Compassion

Humility

Kindness

Advocacy

Embracing and Driving Change

Pursuing Growth and Learning

Building Open and Honest Relationships with Communication

Mental Wellness: In thinking about and enacting values, students develop self-worth, empathy, and responsible personal behavior. Evidence shows that VBE has a very positive effect on students who are ‘at risk’, marginalized, or socioeconomically disadvantaged. There is compelling evidence that well-being impacts are experienced by teachers, parents and families, in the classroom, and across whole schools.

Agency: This is the capacity of individuals to be self-led, to act independently, to make choices and act on them. The evidence shows that VBE strengthens student agency when it involves various forms of giving, outreach, and working in the community.

E.g., Through values action projects that allow learners to enact their values in a way that is personal, real, and deeply engaging.

Connectedness: VBE builds positive and wide-ranging connections between teachers, students, and parents. It supports student engagement in learning, improves parent engagement in their children’s learning, and allows teachers to develop new relationships with their students, each other, and the parents and families in their school community. This is done through shared goals and practices in VBE, which leads to the development of mutual feelings of respect, trust, and safety; and varied opportunities for collaboration. The research findings show that the values lead to improved behavior in the classroom, school, and home.

Transformation: Change and transformation are at the heart of VBE and is the result of teachers and student being urged to engage in continuous reflection on the actions they implemented in their schools. Key changes are seen in professional practice as well as personal attitudes, behaviors, relationships, and group dynamics. Transformations are experienced and observed by teachers, parents, and students alike.​​ The data points to profound transformations in learning. Students develop a deeper understanding of complex issues and how these pertain to their own lives. Students and parents experience personal change and report changes seen in others.

Achievement: As a result of the above, many schools report improvements in both individual achievement and academic attainment. Students report a deeper engagement in and connection to their learning and demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities this entails for themselves and others.

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Ms. Branson's Classroom Management Plan (SUPER TENTATIVE)

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Ms. Branson's Classroom Management Plan (SUPER TENTATIVE)

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In the past, 'classroom control/management' pointed in the direction of classroom discipline and punishment. Students were labeled as 'innately bad'. Today, classroom control and the concept of classroom management has shifted to having a goal of maximizing student learning (Kellough & Kellough, 2002, pg. 104).

Ms. Branson's Classroom Management Plan:

Consistently greets students with a smile.

Standing outside of the classroom as students make their way to their seats.

Maintain an atmosphere of respect where students feel safe, welcomed, valued, and want to take risks.

Tell each kid you care about them often.

Demonstrate appreciation and authentically praise students for positively contributing to the learning environment.

Five simple ways to give positive attention:

1. Put a sticky note with a positive comment on the student's desk

2. Call or e-mail a student's parents with a positive note

3. Walk around the room and interact with students

4. Give a simple thumbs-up

5. Have a quick conversation after class

Establish a sense of community and foster relationships to develop a shared sense of responsibility for the well-being of each student.

"Fair Processes” such as establishing classroom procedures and expectations as a group to engage in shared decision-making

Teach, model and practice “Affective Statements/Questions” that explain and ask how others are impacted by the positive or negative behavior of a classmate

Through the use of “Proactive or Responsive Circles” in which the class comes together in a circle to discuss topics of concerns or problem solve

Should these practices not work, the sequence for breaking classroom procedures:

1. Warning

2. Warning #2

3. Private conversation

4. Letter home

Inform parents and communicate with school staff the restorative approach to promote generalization

The use of “Student-Led Conferences” to discuss academic and social progress

Consistently check for student understanding and progress.

Be able to make adjustments in the midst of a lesson.

Provide opportunities for reflection as part of Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

Teach/model the Classroom Management Plan.

The more detailed you are, even to a ridiculous degree, the more effective and powerful it is

Do not take misbehavior personally.

Know that misbehavior is not because of you as a teacher, it is a choice the students are making.

Do not lecture or scold the students.

Use this experience as a learning opportunity.

Make sure students want to be in your class.

My goal at the end of the day is not that they know the rules and consequences, it is that they are happy and excited to be part of the class.

Create a classroom that students love being a part of.

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"Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a better condition of things that existed earlier."
-John Dewey

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Social science/studies are considered as one of the main elements of school curriculum because it prepares young generations as citizens (i.e., historical understanding, geographical knowledge, cultural and environmental intelligence, and civic understanding).

Social science/studies tells us about the world beyond our immediate experience, and can help explain how our own society works - from the causes of unemployment or what helps economic growth, to how and why people vote, or what makes people happy. It provides vital information for governments and policymakers, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and others.

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What skills should students have upon completing a history class?

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What skills should students have upon completing a history class?

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Chronological Thinking

This is at the heart of historical reasoning.

Students should be able to distinguish between past, present, and future time and identify how events take place over time lines.

Students should be able to analyze patterns of historical duration, continuity, and change.

Historical Comprehension

This involves reading and thinking creatively.

Students should engage with an "into, through, and beyond" approach to history.

Understand the factors that got you into an event, how the event transpired, and what happened as a consequence.

Helping students understand motivations and historical context.

Historical Analysis and Interpretation

There is no one right answer or historical interpretation; history is not a succession of facts marching to a settled outcome.

Student should follow and evaluate arguments and arrive at usable conclusions based on evidence.

Historical Research Skills

The textbook is a secondary source to learning about history; it complies interpretations of events.

Students should be able to formulate historical questions, obtain historical data, evaluate the data, contextualize the data, and present history in a meaningful form.

Engagement with primary sources.

Historical Issues: Analysis and Decision-Making

Students should be able to evaluate the implementation of a historical decision by analyzing the interests it served, estimating the position, power, and priorities, ethical dimensions, and cost and benefits from differing perspectives.

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English Language Arts Standards "History/Social Studies" Grade 6-8: Preparing America's Students for College and Career

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.10
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

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English Language Arts Standards " History/Social Studies " Grade 6-8

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3 Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

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How will Ms. Branson communicate her values and expectations to her students?

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How will Ms. Branson communicate her values and expectations to her students?

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A positive and genuine teacher-student relationship can inspire students to learn and achieve. If you allow students to see you as a real person, you connect with them and their needs, and are transparent with your philosophy (love of wisdom), you will find that many will achieve simply to please you (but of course, we want more than that).

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The Impact of Restorative Practices in Schools

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The Impact of Restorative Practices in Schools

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This is an amazing TEDx talk by educator, Liz Knapp, where she shares how students can overcome their pasts (including trauma) through the power of restorative practices in our public schools.

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Restorative Practices in Schools Have Power to Transform Communities | Liz Knapp | TEDxMcMinnville

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"Compassion allows us to see ourselves in the student, even the student who we find is hard to relate to."

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Very little has been written about how love impacts teaching and learning, which is why John Miller, M.A.T.'67, recently published Love and Compassion: Exploring Their Role in Education. Love, he writes in his new book, is a powerful, motivating force for many teachers and students. And by love Miller doesn't mean only romantic love, but self-love, love of beauty, compassion, and a love for learning. Miller, a professor at the University of Toronto, recently talked to Ed. about compassion, seeing students as individuals, and why, at the age of 74, he still loves teaching.

Why don't educators talk more about love or beauty?
We live in a materialistic society that prizes consumerism and individual achievement. Education reflects this with its focus on accountability and measurement. Love and beauty cannot be evaluated in the traditional manner, so educators shy away from them. The work of Gandhi and King has had a strong influence on my writing as they saw love as the basis for living and social change. When you look at their lives, they had tremendous impact on the world, which for me is evidence of the power of love. They also wrote about how love and compassion require real strength and courage.

Do teachers need to love teaching to be effective?
To be effective in the deepest sense, yes. One can teach basic skills without love, but to truly make a difference in a student's life, there needs to be love. Love sees teaching as an art where we explore different ways of connecting to subject matter and to students. Love brings patience and understanding, which are so important in teaching.

Do they need to love kids?
Here I would use the word compassion. Compassion allows us to see our students as individuals who are struggling and sometimes suffering. Compassion allows us to see ourselves in the student, even the student who we find is hard to relate to. Nel Noddings [Stanford emeritus professor] has written about the importance of care, and if our students feel that we care for them, this can be a strong motivation for learning.

When a teacher's love for their profession is gone, should they move on or try to find a way back?
This is very much a decision that depends on the individual and the environment that he or she is working in. One alternative is to seek another school where their love of teaching can be restored rather than leaving the profession entirely. However, this question brings up the larger issue of what changes can be made at a national level to create schools and learning environments that are nourishing for both teachers and students. We need a broader vision of education that goes beyond mastering skills to teaching the whole child and helping children flourish.

Why do some kids seem not to love school or learning?
Love of learning means keeping the child's natural curiosity alive. This means allowing space for students to pursue their own interests. Teachers often feel the need to cover the curriculum so sometimes there is little opportunity for students to question and explore.

After all your years in the profession, did you ever lose your love for teaching?
I have been fortunate that my university and department have supported my work in holistic education and contemplative education, so I do not believe there was a time when I lost my love of teaching. I am now 74, and I still look forward to teaching and being with young people.

Why?
I love the sense of community that can arise in a class. I write about this in my book, how in one class the students were circulating a sheet of paper for students to comment on what was happening, and one student wrote, "There is a lot of love in this room." With community, people speak authentically or from what the ancients called the "thinking heart." When this happens, there is often growth and transformation. I love witnessing this.

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Very little has been written about how love impacts teaching and learning, which is why John Miller, M.A.T.'67, recently published Love and Compassion: Exploring Their Role in Education. Love, he writes in his new book, is a powerful, motivating force for many teachers and students.

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In this classroom, we are family (not just friends).

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In this classroom, we are family (not just friends).

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Ms. Branson's philosophy about teaching and learning that will support and guide her work with middle school students. 

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Remember that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

Create an atmosphere where students can meet their full potential.

Provide a safe everyday environment where students are invited to share their ideas and experiences while taking risks.

Bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to the classroom (you owe it to your students and the community) so that you can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well.

Your educational philosophy may change, and that is okay. This just means that you have grown and learned new things.

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Carl Ransom Rogers and H. Jerome Freiberg (Kellough & Kellough)

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Carl Ransom Rogers and H. Jerome Freiberg (Kellough & Kellough)

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"In schools committed to quality education and the person-centered classroom, students feel a sense of belonging, enjoy some degree of power of self-discipline, have fun learning, and experience a sense of freedom in the process" (Kellough & Kellough, 2002, pg. 107).

Rogers and Freiberg challenge the status quo with the idea of Person-Centered Education (PCE) or person-centered classrooms. In PCE, values are made explicit to facilitate students to have a critical and proactive role and an effective training to become fully functioning members of society. Individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for changing their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior, and these resources can be tapped if a climate of facilitative psychological conditions is provided. PCE promotes the development of potentialities of individuals, groups, and organizations through interpersonal relationships characterized by respect, trust, empathetic understanding, and authenticity. It makes people responsible for what they do rather than encouraging dependency.

The role of the student-centered teacher is a professional commitment to learning and towards effective, democratic, and value-based education, the capacity to share their passion about learning, relating to the students with respect, empathy, and congruence. The teacher needs to be capable of being in touch with themselves, their students, and the members of their community and the world and having the needed skills and attitudes to be a facilitator of learning, an effective mentor promoting student creativity and autonomy and capable of helping students develop their personal and social skills.

The role of the student in PCE is learning to take responsibility for their own personal development, with interest in the development of social, personal, and problem-solving skills, and for learning to learn, learning from mistakes, willing to contribute to a cooperative and tolerant school ethos and able to learn how to relate to themselves and others with respect, empathy, and congruence.

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Thomas Gordon advocated for influence over control and the encouragement and development of student self-regulated behavior.

"To have a positive influence and to encourage self-control, the teacher (and school) should provide a rich and positive learning environment with rich and stimulating learning activities" (Kellough & Kellough, 2002, pg. 107).

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The Influence of Ms. Branson's Values on Student Interaction 

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The Influence of Ms. Branson's Values on Student Interaction 

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Value is the amount of worth ascribed to something, the degree to which something is prized or has merit. Values are the beliefs that each individual considers are important for themselves and possibly for humanity as a whole.

Having an established set of values (which are likely to change over time) can help an educator decide on how to relate to their students. It focuses on the choices you make in the classroom, helps you to guide your students, determine what messages you want to send, and what behaviors and attitudes you want to reinforce. Values can help you pick your battles, decide what is worth your time and attention, and what you can let go of.

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This is a great TEDx talk that can help teachers build open and honest relationships with their students.

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What makes a good teacher great? | Azul Terronez | TEDxSantoDomingo