# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Are You Building Classroom Culture or Managing Behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building classroom culture increases intrinsic motivation and social-emotional learning, inviting students to contribute to classroom norms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Do Restorative Practices Look Like in Schools? (Opinion)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Such practices teach students how to resolve disputes amicably, own their actions, and be empathetic and forgiving.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this global world, it is easy to meet multilingual speakers. Multilingual speakers are not people who are absolutely fluent or almost like a native in multiple-languages but they are learners of other languages. This talk explores how second language learners truly feel and think when finding limitations in their second (or other) languages. It further emphasizes the importance of having the courage to make mistakes and learn and improve based on their own experiences. It also asks native speakers to understand the experience of language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Patricia Ryan: Don’t insist on English! | TED Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Patricia Ryan is a longtime English teacher who asks a provocative question: Is the world’s focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? In other words: What if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL? It’s a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of ELL Strategies  Immersion Moises in Math Class cutted

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
English language learners are a diverse group of students, with different language, academic, and social-emotional needs. Students who speak the same language or have similar levels of language proficiency may need very different kinds of support to succeed in the classroom.

Learn more about the growing ELL population around the country from these materials, as well as some of the special populations that have unique needs.

What You'll Find in This Section

The first year of working with ELLs can be full of challenges. Fortunately, there are a number of resources to help! Colorín Colorado has compiled this list to help new ELL teachers navigate their experiences in the classroom. These resources may also be helpful for veteran teachers who are new to teaching ELLs.

The following pages contain links to statewide agencies, resources, and organizations focused on English language learners (ELLs).

These resources outline what schools need to know about serving students who are immigrants or children of immigrants. Topics include students' legal rights, social-emotional support, and how immigration policies impact families and schools.

Learn more about how schools and families can collaborate to ensure that ELLs, including those with special needs, have the appropriate support and services to meet their unique needs.

Resource Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English language learners are a diverse group of students, with different language, academic, and social-emotional needs. Students who speak the same language or have similar levels of language proficiency may need very different kinds of support to succeed in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Special Education and English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more about how schools and families can collaborate to ensure that ELLs, including those with special needs, have the appropriate support and services to meet their unique needs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recommended Resources

Peep and the Big Wide World: Bilingual Activities & STEM Curriculum

Public television producer WGBH has launched a bilingual website and preschool curriculum based on Peep and the Big Wide World, the Award-winning STEM series for 3-5 year olds following a newly hatched chicken named Peep and his friends Chirp and Quack (a robin and a duck) on their daily adventures. Each half-hour episode contains two stories which highlight specific science concepts, plus two live-action shorts presenting real kids playing and experimenting with these concepts in their own big wide worlds.

The accompanying site includes bilingual games, videos, apps, a 6-unit STEM curriculum, professional development video modules for early childhood educators, and science resources and activity ideas for families. The website is also available in Spanish.

This toolkit from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education provides resources that can be used to support young children who are learning their home languages and English. It is divided into three sections 1) administrators and managers; 2) teachers, caregivers, and family services staff; and 3) families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Public television producer WGBH has launched a bilingual website and preschool curriculum based on Peep and the Big Wide World , the Award-winning STEM series for 3-5 year olds following a newly hatched chicken named Peep and his friends Chirp and Quack (a robin and a duck) on their daily adventures.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over 10 percent of students in the United States-more than 4.8 million kids-are English language learners (ELLs), and the number is on the rise. Though these students do not learn differently than their native-English-speaking peers, they do have particular educational needs.

To learn about these needs-and best practices for addressing them-I interviewed a range of educators and observers, including Larry Ferlazzo, an educator and author of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide; longtime teachers of English as a second language (ESL) Emily Francis and Tan Huynh; and the journalist Helen Thorpe, who spent a year observing a teacher who works with ELLs.

The group emphasized that the strategies listed here, which include both big-picture mindsets and nitty-gritty teaching tactics, can be incorporated into all classrooms, benefiting both native English speakers and ELLs.

1. Cultivate Relationships and Be Culturally Responsive

No surprise here. A successful classroom, our educators agreed, is one in which students feel known, appreciated, and comfortable taking emotional and intellectual risks. That requires intentional planning and consistent messaging by the teacher.

Emily Francis, an ESL teacher in Concord, North Carolina, makes clear that she wants her students to "embrace their culture and their language as a foundation of who they are" and to consider their acquisition of a new culture and language "not as subtractive, but as additive." To help support students who may never have attended school before or may be coping with migration-based trauma, Francis emphasizes that little things make a big difference. "The first thing that I need to think about is, how is my student feeling in my classroom?" she says. "Are they sitting next to a buddy they can ask a question in their home language? Do they feel comfortable tapping me on the shoulder if they have to go to the bathroom?"

But creating a supportive environment is also about cultivating an appreciation of diversity-it's critical that both the curriculum and the classroom environment honor and reflect the lives of the students. For instance, Francis makes certain that her classroom library is reflective of her students' diverse backgrounds and identities.

ESL teacher Katie Toppel, who teaches near Portland, Oregon, champions the value of home visits to get to know students' families and takes care to incorporate the particulars of students' lives, such as pets' names and favorite sports, into lessons. Students are most engaged when they feel a personal connection to a lesson or unit, a connection that's created in part by a teacher's investment in culturally competent relationships.

2. Teach Language Skills Across the Curriculum

English language learners should not be learning the fundamentals of English in isolation; they should be applying their developing language skills to rich academic content in all subjects.

"It is key that in mainstream classrooms, teachers understand their role as language teachers," says Valentina Gonzalez, a district leader in Katy, Texas, suggesting that all teachers should be aware of the specialized idiom they work within. "If we teach math, then we teach the language of mathematics. If we teach science, then we teach the language of science." Math teachers, in other words, should take the time to teach the unfamiliar vocabulary of mathematics- add, subtract, calculator, solve -concurrently with the teaching of math skills.

3. Emphasize Productive Language

The educators I interviewed agreed that productive language skills-hard-to-master dimensions of language fluency like speaking and writing-should be front and center from day one, even if students feel hesitant about them.

Beginning ELLs often develop receptive language skills like listening and reading first. Educators who are unaware of the typical path to fluency may believe that students who can follow verbal or written directions will be able to produce oral or written language, but that's usually not the case.

To support reluctant speakers, Tan Huynh, an educator who blogs at Empowering ELLs, suggests using sentence frames. "For example, when a science teacher wants ELLs to produce a hypothesis, they might offer the sentence, 'If _____ was added, then _____ because _____.' This sentence frame provides clues that empower ELLs to sound and think like scientists," Huynh says.

Andrea Honigsfeld, a professor of education at Molloy College in Rockville, New York, suggests that all lessons touch on every letter of the acronym SWIRL, which stands for Speak, Write, Interact, Read, Listen. The approach intentionally privileges productive language skills "from the beginning," she says.

4. Speak Slowly-and Increase Your Wait Time

Easier said than done. Still, many of the teachers I spoke to said this simple change is vital. You can record yourself speaking in class to measure your cadence, and adjust.

"Adding in an extra three to five seconds after we pose a question offers all students time to think," explains Gonzalez. "However, for English learners, it also gives time to translate, process their thinking, translate back into English, and develop the courage to answer. If we call on students too quickly, many of our students will stop thinking about the answers-or trying to answer at all."

That means undoing some of our own habits, according to Larry Ferlazzo, a high school ESL teacher in Sacramento, California. "Researchers have found that typically most teachers give one to two seconds between asking a question and expecting a student response," he says. "The same researchers have shown that if you wait three to five seconds, the quality of responses is astronomically greater."

5. Differentiate-and Use Multiple Modalities

All kids learn better when they engage with material in multiple ways: Lessons that involve writing, speaking, drawing, and listening, for example, give students four opportunities to deepen their understanding of the work. For ELLs, those additional engagements also provide a little breathing room so they can work through the language barrier.

Helen Thorpe, a journalist who spent a year observing Eddie Williams's classroom in Denver in order to write a book about immigrants called The Newcomers, marveled at Williams's method of differentiation. "Eddie would enunciate very clearly in English multiple times, he would write it on the board, and he would go to the projector to give a visual. And, finally, he'd be asking the kids to verbalize aspects of the lesson themselves," she says, tracing Williams's efforts to move his students from receptive to productive language fluency.

Toppel uses a strategy called QSSSA to scaffold classroom discussions with ELLs. The letters stand for Question (the teacher poses a question, then gives ample think time); Signal (a designated motion like a thumbs-up, a finger on the nose-something that lets students indicate that they're ready to answer); Stem (the teacher provides a sentence starter for the question-for example, for "What is your favorite place to read a book?" the stem might be, "My favorite place to read a book is _____"); Share; and Assess.

6. Incorporate Students' Native Languages-and Don't Be Afraid of Technology

Bilingualism is the goal, of course, not replacement.

Ferlazzo uses a strategy called "preview, view, review," which leverages a student's native language skills as a foundation for learning the new language. He introduces a topic and encourages students to preview it in materials in their home language (often using multilingual videos and other online resources); he then teaches the topic in English, and then has students review the information in their home language.

Ferlazzo also encourages teachers to embrace technologies that students find helpful, like Google Translate. He stresses that the app can be a useful way for students to translate words quickly-but warns that it can quickly "become a dependency" if it's used as more than a handy dictionary.

Thorpe agrees that Translate can take pressure off teachers, who sometimes find that they "just stand at the front of the room and say things over and over. And if the kids didn't know what those words are, they're out of luck." Translation technology means you can say it once (or twice) and let the students use the technology to translate key words and phrases.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We interviewed educators with decades of experience in teaching ELLs and tapped a network of experts and observers to find the strategies that work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scaffolding Grade-Level Content for English Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Living the Sky Life - Our Autism Journey

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parenting Podcast · Updated Weekly · This podcast comes to you from a very tired and eternally hopefully autism mom of an adult son with profound needs. My intention is to bring together caregivers of special needs children and those who…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I am a huge advocate of student voice in the classroom and in education in general. Being a connected educator has opened up a few opportunities and possibilities for me both personally and professionally. I started to reflect on this reality a few weeks ago. We speak about empowering student voice in the classroom, but it is also important for us to empower teachers to be the best they can be in their own classrooms. Empowering teachers impacts education to change in a positive direction. I wrote a personal blog a week ago about how to advocate for teachers, but the point of view was that from a PLN educator. I think it's just as important to empower teachers at your school to be leaders and driven learners. Here are several categories that are important to consider when empowering teachers:
So how can we empower teachers?
A true leader is one who is able to extend their leadership to others and allow them to lead positive change. Consider giving teachers an opportunity to lead the way in teaching and their own learning in the classroom and school. This can be done in many different ways:
Leadership/ownership:

Provide teachers with an opportunity to participate in conversations that drive curriculum development and design.

Participate in the process of decision-making on school policy, strategy and mission. - Support their initiatives and ideas for professional development, change implementations, strategy, deadlines, logistics.

Professional Development:

Encourage teachers to set out personal goals, and offer your support in making them happen through professional development, funding, conferences, and publications.

Support teachers to facilitate a mentorship program that supports onboarding of new teachers with resources, constructive feedback and consistent support when needed.

Make your school inclusive to all your teachers by providing opportunities for professional development and education on equity and diversity. It would be a bonus if teachers can create a diversity and equity committee devoted to the mission of inclusivity in your school.

Culture:

Foster an environment that supports collaboration and team building: teacher lunches, day trips, and coffee chats before classes should be ongoing in your school to create a positive culture.

Emphasis on communication to build a positive school culture is also important. When teachers are empowered to communicate their thoughts and ideas in a safe and positive environment, they will extend this mindset in their classroom.

Appreciation/Gratitude:

Show teachers that you appreciate what they do in and out of the classroom everyday. There are so many ways to show appreciation to teachers and often a simple thank you and a smile can make a teacher's day. I worked at a school where the principle would take a walk in the hallway every morning after class has started and check in on the teachers and students, and just say hello. One of my colleagues confessed to me that it made her nervous when she first started out, but she learned that he does it from a place to not criticize her, but to show that he appreciates what she does in the classroom and he's there to support her in what she needs.

I realize that some of these elements are hard to practice and implement in a school, especially when it comes to policy and curriculum design and development. However, there are always resources, strategies and support for schools who are willing to empower their teachers and include them in their academic processes. Please share what your school does to empower teachers in and out of the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am a huge advocate of student voice in the classroom and in education in general. Being a connected educator has opened up a few opportunities and possibilities for me both personally and professionally. I started to reflect on this reality a few weeks ago.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Building Thinking Classrooms?

Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Peter Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into a set of 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. When combined, these unique research-based practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned deep mathematical thinking and learning, and have the power to transform mathematics classrooms like never before.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Thinking Classrooms | Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning Mathematics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Being a teacher is fulfilling. It's an ever-changing career that inspires. But it's also exhausting, mentally and physically.

Often those outside of the profession see only 13 weeks of holiday, a 9am - 3:30pm day plus a few INSET days thrown into the mix, leaving some to ponder why we struggle at times.

Many do not see the burdens placed on schools, senior leaders and teachers. Not only do we seem to be trying to teach the next generations the knowledge and skills needed for a successful life, we're also being asked to play a huge societal role without adequate funding.

It's not a surprise therefore, that many leaders and classroom teachers, both new and experienced face burnout at some point in their career.

But what is burnout and how can it be avoided?

What is occupational burnout?

Most of us get stressed at work at some point. Burnout occurs as a result of sustained stress that never subsides. This is due to prolonged periods of intensity and excessive demands on energy, strength and resources.

Herbert Freudenberger coined the term in the 1970's. He recognised that professions which involve a strong sense of morality or purpose, and commitment from workers who sacrifice themselves for the good of others, were most at risk.

It's no wonder that teachers and everyone working education are at risk of burnout. Accountability pressures, workload and hours can increase stress and pay remains low in comparison to other graduate roles. On top of this, teachers and others in education have taken on a raft of social responsibilities during the pandemic.

With such statistics it's no surprise that so many teachers are leaving the profession.

84%

of teachers described themselves as stressed in the 2020 Teacher Wellbeing Index

51%

have considered leaving teaching over the past two years

68%

said workload was their main reason for considering leaving

How can burnout be avoided?

Sadly, there is no definitive answer to this. As individuals, our stress tolerances vary. What we do need is an understanding of the signs of burnout and the proactive measures that can be put in place to avoid it. We need to look after ourselves and those we work with, if we are to keep great teachers teaching.

Recognising the signs

Burnout is considered to have a wide range of symptoms however, three main signs of the condition are:

Exhaustion

For teachers this may include both emotional and physical exhaustion. Evidence of this may be frustration and irritability, mood swings, impaired concentration, chronic fatigue and insomnia as well as physical symptoms such as increased illness, palpitations, gastrointestinal pain, headaches and dizziness.

Detachment from the job

For teachers this may develop through cynicism and pessimism towards teaching, students, colleagues or the school itself. The person with burnout may prefer to avoid contact and involvement with others, and experience a loss of enjoyment from the things that once brought pleasure.

Reduced performance

For teachers this may develop through negative feelings, lack of productivity and poor performance. Evidence of this may be feelings of hopelessness and apathy, low self-confidence, increased irritability with one's self and others, increased time spent completing tasks and apathy to want to do so.

"We need to look after ourselves and those we work with if we are to keep great teachers teaching."

Whilst it may not be possible to eliminate burnout within the profession, there are ways we can take action to avoid it in ourselves.

Tips for avoiding burnout

If you feel like you might be reaching a point of burnout, perhaps you're exhausted, emotional and easily agitated, take a day or two to recoup. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Whether it's a school day that you take off sick, a weekend or school holiday; take the time to relax and recover when you need to.

It can be tempting to pack weekends with activities to keep yourself entertained so you don't just work through them. It can be tempting to go to work even when you haven't slept well and you can feel your eyes closing. It can be tempting to want to spend time entertaining family or friends but sometimes you need to take that break. You need to stop rest and relax. Make sure you do.

Please make use of the support available to you. Sometimes it's hard to speak to people you are close to and even harder to speak to a stranger. They listen, support and can coach and guide to help you discover solutions that are best for you. So remember the free and confidential helpline is here 24/7 throughout the UK on 08000 562561 for all education staff. Download this poster for your staffroom now!

"The qualified counsellors on the Education Support helpline are fantastic and helped me stay in teaching!"

And after burnout?
Reaching burnout doesn't need to be the end of your career in teaching. It just means you stepping back for a little while. Whether that means taking time off, relinquishing a responsibility or changing schools, it is possible to continue a successful teaching career after experiencing burnout.

After my experience of burnout, I was torn between moving out of teaching or trying another school. During my time off, I was encouraged to apply to one more school. I panicked it would be more of the same; relentless workload, high expectations and limited support so at the interview I asked how they support staff wellbeing and was pleased with the response.

If you're applying elsewhere after a period of burnout, don't worry. If a school is worth working in, they will understand your experiences and will not hold it against you. Be honest, as it's the only way to reduce the stigma surrounding it.

To read more on Victoria's experiences and advice on tackling workload visit her blog, MrsHumanities.com, follow her on twitter (@MrsHumanities) and check out her book 'Making it as Teacher.'
Sign up to our newsletter for more mental heath and wellbeing resources, news and events straight to your inbox.

Top tips to avoid burnout poster

Our confidential grants service is here to help you manage money worries.

Everyone occasionally needs help. Our friendly, experienced team is here to support you.

Financial support

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest mental heath and wellbeing resources, news and events straight to your inbox.

Sign up

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teacher, Victoria Hewett, talks about her experiences of burnout and how to avoid it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Published May 17, 2024 Updated May 17, 2024

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The mental health crisis has affected individuals across various ages and professions. With increasing academic stress and institutional challenges, teachers & school staff are no exceptions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why It’s So Hard for Teachers to Take Care of Themselves | Cult of Pedagogy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a whole, teachers aren’t great about taking care of themselves. But that can change, and these four steps can help make that happen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mel Robbins: The ‘Let Them Theory’ (A Life-Changing Hack That 15M People Can’t Stop Talking About)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vertical learning—a framework for high quality group work—showcases student thinking for everyone to see.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Department of Education cuts will — and won’t — affect Wisconsin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uncertainty reigns as President Trump threatens to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Federal funding accounts for about 8% of school funding in Wisconsin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Anxious Generation offers an explanation by telling two stories. The first is about the decline of the play-based childhood, which began in the 1980s and…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I don't know how teachers do it | Leanne Morgan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nate Bargatze Learns Common Core Math | Official Clip | Netflix

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Balancing Phonics and Comprehension in Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explicit foundational skills instruction is improving reading outcomes, but are we overcorrecting? Learn how to strike the right balance in literacy instruction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What to know about Wisconsin’s Act 10 and the 2024 court battle over the law

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge’s overturning of Wisconsin’s 13-year-old law that effectively ended collective bargaining for teachers and most state government employees has rekindled a battle over labor rights…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Curriculum and Instruction

What type of early literacy instruction and intervention do schools need to provide?

Act 20 states that all Wisconsin schools are required to provide science-based early literacy instruction in both universal and intervention settings. Science-based early literacy instruction is defined as the following.

Instruction that is systematic and explicit and consists of all the following:

Phonological awareness

Phonemic awareness

Phonics

Building background knowledge

Oral language development

Vocabulary building

Instruction in writing

Instruction in comprehension

Reading fluency

Phonics is defined as the study of the relationships between sounds and words; this includes alphabetic principle, decoding, orthographic knowledge, encoding, and fluency.

Note that the Wisconsin Standards for ELA 2020 defines fluency as being comprised of accuracy, automaticity, and prosody.

What type of early literacy instruction and intervention is prohibited?

Act 20 states that three-cueing instruction and curricula are prohibited. Three-cueing instruction is defined as, "...any model, including the model referred to as meaning, structure, and visual cues, or MSV, of teaching a pupil to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues or memory."

Does this mean that schools are prohibited from providing any instruction in sight words or context clues?

The purpose of delivering instruction in reading foundational skills is to build automaticity in making meaning of written text. When prompting a learner for word-solving, educators should first and foremost be prompting for phonics.

The term sight word refers to any word that is read with automaticity (Ehri 2005, 167-188). Therefore, it is reasonable to say that a goal of reading instruction is for the majority of words to become sight words.

Providing instruction in context clues is an evidence-based method for comprehension (NCEE 2016); one of the elements of science-based early literacy instruction as defined in Act 20 is comprehension. Therefore, it is appropriate to provide instruction in context clues when the goal is comprehension.

Foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather, they are necessary and important components of an effective, comprehensive reading program designed to develop proficient readers with the capacity to comprehend texts across a range of types and disciplines.

Are there any exceptions to the science-based early literacy instruction requirements?

There are certain groups of students for whom phonological and phonemic awareness focused literacy instruction is either not possible or not appropriate, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing, students who are deafblind, and some students with intellectual disabilities. Appropriate instruction in reading should be clearly articulated in the individual education programs (IEPs) or 504 plans of such students and those instructional plans must be followed. Teachers of record should work closely with special education teachers to plan and deliver appropriate instruction.

For other students, including English learners with a different phonetic system in their first language, accommodations may need to be made. Appropriate instruction in reading should be clearly articulated in the language acquisition plans of such students and those instructional plans must be followed. Teachers of record should work closely with Title III or English as a second language teachers to plan and deliver appropriate instruction.

Will schools be required to adopt and implement early literacy curricula from the list generated by the early literacy curriculum council?

No. School boards retain the independent authority to select the early literacy instructional materials they will adopt and implement. Those instructional materials are required to meet the definition of "science-based early literacy instruction" found in Act 20.

Does Act 20 require schools to change their curriculum?

Act 20 does not require schools to change their curriculum. It does require schools to implement science-based early literacy instruction as defined in the statute and prohibits schools from implementing three-cueing instruction as defined in the statute.

School districts should review their existing curriculum against the definition of science-based early literacy instruction to determine whether their instructional materials and practices meet the requirements.

How will schools be reimbursed if they adopt a curriculum from the recommended list of early literacy curricula?

DPI will establish a non-competitive grant program in which school districts may apply to receive funds to be partially reimbursed for purchasing an early literacy curriculum from the recommended list. Note that Act 20 states that a school district may be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost and that these grants will be prorated based on the number of districts that apply.

If a school is already using an early literacy curriculum that appears on the recommended list, could they be reimbursed for any of the supplementary or on-going costs of that curriculum after January 1, 2024?

When the director of the DPI Wisconsin Reading Center is in place, DPI will be able to issue guidance on this question.

Bilingual Programs

What type of early literacy instruction do bilingual programs need to provide?

In a bilingual program, when the instruction is on English reading development, the curriculum and instruction need to align with the definition of "science-based early literacy instruction" that is in Act 20. For English reading development, the curriculum and instruction should be in English. For reading and language development of the target language, that curriculum and instruction should be in the target language.

Can bilingual programs administer required early literacy assessments in the target language?

The current state statute for the reading readiness screener does not allow for any kind of opt out and is clear that the screener must be given in English because the goal is to assess English reading development. Act 20 does not change this, so the single statewide reading screener will be the same for all students, in English, and will assess English reading development.

The purpose of the diagnostic reading assessment is to identify underlying issues with English reading development, so the diagnostic reading assessment must also be in English. Districts do have the authority to select and implement the diagnostic reading assessment they think is best.

Ultimately a bilingual program may want to choose to administer reading screeners and diagnostics in both English and the target language to have a full picture of reading development they can share with families with explanations about any differences.

Use of Federal Funds

How does Act 20 impact federal fund use by school districts?

Federal funds (Title funds, IDEA funds, or other federal funds) may not be used to purchase curriculum, intervention, or training that meets the definition of three-cueing in Act 20. All curricula, interventions, and training must align with the definition of "science-based early literacy instruction" found in Act 20.

Additionally, "supplement not supplant" provisions apply, meaning that federal funds may not be used to pay for the required reading trainings, and that there are restrictions in using some federal funds to purchase early literacy instruction or intervention materials that meet the definition of science-based early literacy instruction as defined in Act 20. Districts should work with their DPI Title I or IDEA contact to work through these questions.

Early Literacy Curriculum Council

How will individuals be selected for the early literacy curriculum council?

Wisconsin Act 20 states that a Council on Early Literacy Curricula shall be comprised of nine individuals (three selected by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, three selected by the Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, and three selected by the Senate Majority Leader).

Members of this council are required to have, "knowledge of or experience with science-based early literacy instruction" as defined in Act 20.

There is one common application that was used for all nine council members. Members were appointed in accordance with Act 20.

What is the time commitment of the early literacy curriculum council?

Council members can expect to spend four to 10 hours each week in a combination of collaborative and individual work time to meet the December 1st deadline of providing a list of recommended early literacy curricula to DPI.

How will early literacy curriculum council meetings take place?

The curriculum council will meet virtually after typical school hours. These meetings will be publicly noticed and open to the public to observe.

What are the responsibilities of the early literacy curriculum council?

Act 20 states that the early literacy curriculum council will review early literacy instructional materials for alignment to the definition of science-based early literacy instruction found in Act 20 and will present a list of recommended early literacy curricula to DPI based on that review. The first recommended list must be presented to DPI by December 1 and annually thereafter. DPI will publish the list of recommended early literacy curricula by January 1.

Act 20 also states that the early literacy curriculum council will consult with the State Superintendent on the individual who will serve as the Director of the Wisconsin Reading Center.

The DPI is also responsible for publishing a list of recommended diagnostic reading assessments and may consult with the early literacy curriculum council about assessments that should be included in this list.

Assessments

What are the new reading readiness screener requirements and when do those requirements take effect?

A single reading readiness screener will be administered to Wisconsin students in 4K through grade 3 beginning in the school year 2024-2025. The assessment must be administered to 4K students twice per year. Once no more than 45 days into the school year and once no more than 45 days prior to the end of the school year.

A single readiness screener must be administered to students in 5K through grade 3, three times per year. Once no more than 45 days into the school year, once in the middle of the school year, and once no more than 45 days prior to the end of the school year

What will the new reading readiness screener be?

DPI is working through the formal state of Wisconsin procurement process to determine the single reading readiness screener that includes the requirements in Act 20. The screener must be in place by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

What will be assessed on the new reading readiness screener?

Act 20 states that learners in 4K must be evaluated on phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge.

Act 20 states that learners in 5K through grade 3 must be evaluated on phonemic awareness, decoding skills, alphabet knowledge, letter sound knowledge, and oral vocabulary.

Is there an opt out of the new reading readiness screener requirement?

No. Just like the existing reading readiness screener requirement, there is no ability for families to opt their child out of this requirement.

Are school districts required to notify families of reading readiness screener results?

Yes. Districts are required to notify parents and families with results of the reading readiness screener no later than 15 days after the assessment is scored. These notifications must be in a form understandable to the family.

Notifications must include the following information.

The pupil's score on the reading readiness assessment.

The pupil's score in each early literacy skill category assessed by the reading readiness assessment.

The pupil's percentile rank score on the reading readiness assessment, if available.

The definition of "at-risk" and the score on the reading readiness assessment that would indicate that a pupil is at-risk.

A plain language description of the literacy skills the reading readiness assessment is designed to measure.

When do districts need to administer a diagnostic reading assessment?

Any child that scores below the 25th percentile of the reading readiness screener must be administered a diagnostic reading assessment within 10 days after the reading readiness screener and no later than the 2nd Friday of November.

A diagnostic reading assessment must also be administered if a child has characteristics of dyslexia according to the Wisconsin Informational Guidebook for Dyslexia and Related Conditions and a caregiver or teacher requests a diagnostic reading assessment. In this case, the diagnostic reading assessment must be administered within 20 days of the request.

Will districts be required to select diagnostic assessments that are recommended by the curriculum council?

No. DPI will publish and maintain the list of diagnostic assessments recommended by the curriculum council, and local education agencies are responsible for (public schools and independent charter schools) selecting, procuring, and administering diagnostic reading assessments.

What is required to be included in the diagnostic reading assessment?

Act 20 states that a diagnostic reading assessment administered to students identified as at-risk on the screener, must include an evaluation of rapid naming, phonological awareness, word recognition, spelling, vocabulary, listening comprehension, and, when developmentally appropriate, oral reading fluency and reading comprehension.

In addition to the content requirements, Act 20 requires that a diagnostic reading assessment administered to students identified as at-risk on the screener, must have a sensitivity rate of at least 70 percent, a specificity rate of at least 80 percent, and it must include a growth measure.

Are school districts required to notify families of diagnostic reading assessment results?

Yes. If a child was administered a diagnostic reading assessment, those results must also be provided to parents. These notifications must be in a form understandable to the parents or families.

Notifications should include the child's score in each of the literacy skills assessed along with a plain language description of those skills and the score that would indicate whether a child is at risk of challenges with reading development.

If a diagnostic reading assessment indicates that a child is at-risk, the following additional information must be included.

Information about how to make a special education referral.

A description of the common indicators and characteristics of dyslexia (found in Wisconsin Informational Guidebook for Dyslexia and Related Conditions).

Information about interventions and accommodations for children with characteristics of dyslexia (found in Wisconsin Informational Guidebook for Dyslexia and Related Conditions).

Family Notifications

What reading information are school districts required to share with families?

Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, provide parents and families with results of the reading readiness screener no later than 15 days after the assessment is scored in an understandable format that includes all of the following:

The pupil's score on the reading readiness assessment.

The pupil's score in each early literacy skill category assessed by the reading readiness assessment.

The pupil's percentile rank score on the reading readiness assessment, if available.

The definition of "at-risk" and the score on the reading readiness assessment that would indicate that a pupil is at-risk.

A plain language description of the literacy skills the reading readiness assessment is designed to measure.

If a child is promoted to 4th grade without completing their personal reading plan, parents must be notified in writing along with a description of the reading interventions that child will continue to receive.

Are families required to acknowledge receipt of the reading information?

Parents must sign and return the personal reading plan to school.

What additional information are school districts required to share with families?

If a student's diagnostic assessment indicates that a pupil is at-risk, a school board or operator of an independent charter school shall provide all of the following:

School districts should consult the manuals of the diagnostic reading assessment they have selected to determine whether the score indicates that a pupil is at-risk.

Statewide Early Literacy Coaches

Which schools will receive statewide early literacy coaches?

Act 20 states that half of the statewide early literacy coaches be placed in a combination of schools with the lowest percentage of learners scoring proficient in literacy on the summative state assessment, and schools with learners experiencing the greatest gaps in literacy according to the summative state assessment.

The other half of the statewide early literacy coaches will be placed in schools that request early literacy coaching support and that have the greatest need for early literacy instructional supports. Act 20 states the DPI Director of the Office of Reading shall determine where these coaches are placed in consultation with Cooperative Education Service Agencies (CESAs) and evenly across CESA regions.

Further, Act 20 states that there shall be a minimum of 3 coaches in each CESA region and a minimum of 2 coaches in a private school. A first-class city (Milwaukee) may have no more than 10 coaches and any other school district may have no more than 4 coaches.

Do schools have to accept one of these coaches?

No. Schools that may be identified as eligible to receive an Act 20 early literacy coach are not required to accept a coach.

For how long will schools be able to have these coaches?

Currently, there is funding through school year 2025-2026 for the statewide early literacy coaches.

How will statewide early literacy coaches be selected?

DPI shall conduct an open application process to identify individuals eligible to work in schools who have knowledge of and experience with science-based early literacy instruction as defined in Act 20, as well as instructional experiences with 5K-grade 12 students. In the event that DPI contracts with CESAs to secure early literacy coaches, eligibility requirements will be included in the contract.

Do statewide early literacy coaches need to have a specific Wisconsin educator license?

Act 20 states that individuals who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in science-based early literacy instruction and instructional practices and have instructional experience in grades kindergarten to 12 may serve as literacy coaches. In addition, Wisconsin law requires those working in public schools to be licensed. Given that and the scope of the duties contained in the bill, the applicable license would be that of a district reading specialist, which is an administrative license.

What will the statewide early reading coaches do?

Act 20 states that the role of the statewide early reading coaches is to provide support to administrators, existing school-based literacy coaches, principals, and teachers to build teacher and school capacity to implement science-based early reading instruction as defined in the statute in order to increase the percentage of pupils who are reading at grade-level by the end of grade 3. Act 20 early literacy coaches are prohibited from doing other duties, and specifically prohibited from serving as a substitute teacher. Act 20 early literacy coaches may work in more than one school and across school districts but may not work in more than three schools.

Required Reading Training

What reading training is required for educators?

By July 1, 2025, all individuals employed as a 5K-grade 3 teacher or reading teacher will need to begin a reading training that meets the following criteria.

Lexia Learning Systems, LLC, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training or another program endorsed by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction as an accredited independent teacher training program. These eligible trainings are found here.

Which educators are required to complete the reading training?

Educators who teach 5K-grade 3 reading, including reading teachers, special education teachers, and teachers of multilingual learners.

What reading training is required for administrators?

By July 1, 2025, all individuals employed as a district reading specialist or principal complete a reading training that meets the following criteria.

Offered by the Leadership in Literacy Institute or a provider that meets all of the following requirements:

The provider provides evidence of at least 5 years of experience conducting evidence-aligned, systematic, structured literacy training specifically for school principals, administrators, and literacy teams.

The provider demonstrates that the training content is aligned with the National Reading Panel Report and subsequent updates of the research by the Institute of Education Sciences.

The provider requires that training include a substantial focus and understanding on direct instruction.

The provider delivers the training over at least 6 days.

The provider provides participants with activities to implement evidence-aligned systems and structures that effectuate change in the school or school district.

The provider delivers training that allows for a minimum of 30 participants.

Programs currently identified as meeting the criteria for the training for district reading specialists and principals include:

Schools Cubed (Leadership in Literacy)

AIM Pathways to Literacy Leadership

American Reading Company (ARC) training for district leaders

Education Advisory Board (EAB)

Glean

Transformative Reading Group

LETRS for Administrators

CESA 8 literacy trainings for leaders

CESA 9 literacy trainings for leaders

CESA 6 literacy trainings for leaders

Which administrators are required to complete the administrator specific reading training?

District reading specialists and principals for grades 5K-3 are required to complete the administrator specific reading training.

Are there funds for schools for the required reading training?

Nothing is currently enumerated for training, specifically. Local education agencies (public schools and independent charters) are responsible for the associated costs.

How can other reading trainings be added to the list of required reading trainings?

Act 20 is clear that the required reading training for 5K through grade 3 educators who provide reading instruction must be endorsed by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction as an accredited independent teacher training program. These trainings are found here and DPI does not have the ability to add other reading trainings to this list.

DPI will not continue to maintain a list of approved reading trainings for district administrators. School districts may review the criteria for the required reading training for administrators and review evidence from a provider to determine for themselves if a reading training meets the criteria. School districts may reach out to early.reading@dpi.wi.gov for questions or support.

How will the reading training requirement be enforced?

Local education agencies (public schools and independent charters) are responsible for ensuring that relevant educators have completed the necessary training. Each local education agency should develop a local system for keeping track of which educators and administrators have participated in a required reading training.

Personal Reading Plans

Which students must receive a personal reading plan?

Any child in grades K-3 who scores below the 25th percentile on the reading readiness screener must receive a personal reading plan.

Who creates the personal reading plan?

The child's school is responsible for creating the personal reading plan. The plan must include all of the following:

The pupil's specific early literacy skill deficiencies, as identified by the applicable assessment.

Goals and benchmarks for the pupil's progress toward grade-level literacy skills.

How the pupil's progress will be monitored.

A description of the interventions and any additional instructional services that will be provided to the pupil to address the pupil's early literacy skill deficiencies.

The programming that the pupil's teacher will use to provide reading instruction to the pupil. This programming must align to the definition of science-based early literacy instruction as stated in Act 20 and address the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Strategies the pupil's parent is encouraged to use to help the pupil achieve grade-level literacy skills.

Any additional services available and appropriate to accelerate the pupil's early literacy skill development.

Do schools have to notify families about the personal reading plan?

Yes. Local education agencies (public schools and independent charter schools) will provide a copy of the personal reading plan to parents as well as provide progress updates after 10 weeks.

How do students exit a personal reading plan?

A plan is considered completed when school and parents decide that the child has met the goals of the plan and has shown an adequate rate of progress according to grade-specific measures.

How is "adequate rate of progress" defined?

Act 20 states that to exit a personalized reading plan, a child must demonstrate adequate rate of progress in reading development according to grade-specific measures.

For children enrolled in 5K, adequate rate of progress for the purpose of exiting a personalized reading plan are nonword or nonsense word fluency and phoneme segmentation fluency.

For children enrolled in grades 1, 2, or 3, adequate rate of progress for the purpose of exiting a personalized reading plan is oral reading fluency.

Children in grade 3 must also score at the proficient level of the state summative assessment in the area of reading.

School districts have the authority to select and implement the tool(s) they believe are best to measure those reading foundational skills and should consult the manuals of those tools to determine whether adequate rate of progress has been achieved.

What does "progress monitoring" mean here? Is it the same kind of progress monitoring required for special education evaluation when considering a specific learning disability?

Act 20 requires that schools monitor student reading development progress weekly. The term "progress monitoring" here does not have the same meaning as progress monitoring required for special education evaluation when considering specific learning disability. Some form of weekly progress monitoring is required and must be outlined in a child's personalized reading plan. At some point, progress monitoring must demonstrate the student's progress toward the goals described above. Local education agencies (public schools and independent charter schools) will determine the most appropriate method of monitoring a child's reading development progress and describe that process in their local early literacy remediation plan.

Data Collection and Reporting

What additional data do school districts need to collect and report to DPI?

By July 15, 2025, school districts must report the following information to DPI.

The number of pupils in grades 4K through grade 3 identified as at-risk on the reading readiness screener during the previous school year.

The names of the diagnostic reading assessments the district used in the previous school year.

The number of pupils identified as at-risk based on the results of a diagnostic reading assessment during the previous school year.

The number of 5K through grade 3 pupils who received reading interventions during the previous school year by grade-level.

The number of 5K through grade 3 pupils who received a personal reading plan during the previous school year.

The number of 5K through grade 3 pupils who exited reading interventions during the previous school year.

The number of 5K through grade 3 pupils for whom a special education referral was made based on diagnostic reading assessments in the previous school year.

How will school districts report that data to DPI?

DPI will establish systems and structures for districts to report that data to DPI and will likely use the WISE data collection systems already in place. School districts should begin to identify and establish their own systems and structures for collecting these data points.

Promotion Policy

Do school districts have to retain third-grade students based on reading assessment scores?

No. The DPI is required to create a model (or example) policy for promoting students from third grade to fourth grade that includes reading achievement criteria. Each school district must adopt and implement their own policy for promoting students from third grade to fourth grade that includes reading achievement criteria. This policy must be adopted and implemented by July 1, 2025. School districts are already required to have a policy for promoting students from fourth grade to fifth grade and from eighth grade to ninth grade.

What interventions must school districts provide to third-grade students promoted to fourth grade while still on a personal reading plan?

For those children promoted to fourth grade without exiting a personal reading plan, a district is required to do the following. Provide the child with intensive instructional services, progress monitoring, and supports to remediate identified areas of deficiency; provide the child with an intensive summer reading program each summer until the child scores at grade-level in reading on a summative assessment; and notify the child's parent or caregiver in writing that the child has not exited the personal reading plan with a description of the services and supports that will be provided.

What does "intensive instructional services" mean?

Providing "intensive instructional services" means adjusting or intensifying instruction based on student response and the needs of the whole child. This could include providing more time for targeted instruction; reducing group size for explicit instruction and/or practice; grouping children with similar learning needs; increasing engagement strategies; and support for applying new and developing learning in independent reading and writing.

What does "progress monitoring" mean here? Is it the same kind of progress monitoring required for special education evaluation when considering a specific learning disability?

The term "progress monitoring" here does not have the same meaning as progress monitoring required for special education evaluation when considering specific learning disability. Some form of weekly progress monitoring is required and must be outlined in a child's personalized reading plan. At some point, progress monitoring must demonstrate the student's progress toward the goals described above. Local education agencies (public schools and independent charter schools) will determine the most appropriate method of monitoring a child's reading development progress and describe that process in their local early literacy remediation plan.

Are there any exceptions to these intervention requirements?

Yes. A good-cause exception for the intensive interventions of a student in grade 4 or above is allowed for the following.

A child identified as Limited English proficient; a child with an individual education program (IEP) that indicates that taking the relevant assessments is not appropriate for that child

A child who scores as proficient in reading on an alternative standardized assessment approved by the department

A child who has an IEP or a 504 plan that indicates the child has received intensive interventions in reading for more than two years and was previously retained in 5K, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3.

A child who has received intensive interventions in reading for 2 or more school years and was previously retained in 5K, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3.

How will districts pay for those interventions?

Just as they do for current interventions, districts must use a combination of local and state funds to pay for additional reading supports to children, including those required by Act 20.

Early Literacy Remediation Plan

What information are school districts required to publicly post?

Act 20 requires each school district to articulate and post an early literacy remediation plan that includes all of the following. The name of the diagnostic reading assessment the school districts uses; a description of the reading interventions the school district uses to address characteristics of dyslexia; a description of how the school district monitors pupil progress during interventions, including the tools used and their frequency; a description of how the school district uses early literacy assessment results to evaluate early literacy instruction; and a description of the parent notification policy that complies with Act 20.

School districts are still required to publicly post the academic standards that they use and to provide a link to Wisconsin's Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions on their school district website.

District Reading Specialists

Does Act 20 change the requirement to have a district reading specialist?

No, each school district is still required to have a district reading specialist.

Does Act 20 change the responsibilities of the district reading specialist?

Act 20 revised the required responsibilities of the district reading specialist to the following. Implement a reading curriculum in grades 5K through 12; act as a resource to classroom teachers to implement the reading curriculum; work with administrators to support and implement the reading curriculum; conduct an annual evaluation of the reading curriculum; and to coordinate the reading curriculum with other reading programs and other support services with the school district.

Educator Preparation Programs

What is required in educator preparation programs?

Educator preparation programs will be required to meet the requirement to provide instruction in science-based early literacy instruction as defined in Act 20 in order to endorse candidates for licensure beginning July 1, 2025. Approved preparation programs will be required to update their programs in the affected license areas.

Is the Foundations of Reading Test (FoRT) still required?

Act 20 does not change the requirement that prospective teachers pass the FORT, or an approved alternative for special education programs, in order to be licensed at the Tier II level. See DPI's website for Educator Preparation Program Testing Requirements for details.

Choice Program Requirements

What is required for schools that are part of the Choice program?

Private school participating in the Private School Choice Programs are prohibited from purchasing or implementing three-cueing instruction and curricula; are eligible for the early literacy curricula reimbursement grants; and are required to adopt and implement a policy for promoting students from third-grade to fourth-grade that includes reading achievement criteria and required reading interventions for all tested students not at grade level in third grade. The DPI Office of Literacy must place at least two statewide early literacy coaches in Choice schools. The statewide summative reading assessment must be administered to Choice students and to non-choice students when a Choice school opts in to an All Student Report Card.

Choice schools are not required to administer the reading readiness screener or the diagnostic reading assessments.

Choice schools are not required to create personal reading plans for learners who are in need of intensive reading supports.

Choice schools are not required to create and post early literacy remediation plans identifying how they will provide supports to those learners who are in need of intensive reading supports.

Additional Information

Where can I find additional information about Act 20?

Additional information about Act 20 can be found at https://dpi.wi.gov/wi-reads.

Please send questions or concerns to early.reading@dpi.wi.gov

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The information below is designed to address ongoing questions related to 2023 Act 20 and its implementation. Please send questions or concerns about this page or Act 20 to DPI staff by emailing early.reading@dpi.wi.gov. Last updated: 10/26/2023 Curriculum and Instruction What type of early literacy instruction and intervention do schools need to provide?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Sam Levine, M.A.Associate ProfessorPsychology and Leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Federal and State Education Changes in 2025: What Teachers Need to Know - Breathe For Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn what’s changing in US federal and state education policy in 2025 and what these shifts mean for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parents disappointed in implementation of new Wisconsin reading law

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parents from Decoding Dyslexia, the Wisconsin Reading Coalition, WI Reads and the International Dyslexia Association’s Wisconsin branch sent a letter to DPI last week, saying they’re concerned with implementation of Act 20.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether you are teaching a lesson or learning one yourself, this website is for you!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment for ALL Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Podcast Episode · Educator’s Playbook · 10/17/2023 · 41m

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching is a cognitively complex profession. In the course of a single school day, an educator must make hundreds of decisions and respond quickly to the myriad unexpected turns that life in the classroom may take. You have a high-energy job, so it's essential to prime your brain and body with the right fuel.

But in the busy life of a teacher, who has time to think about healthy eating, much less sorting through the sometimes-conflicting claims about the nutritional value of various food choices? Unfortunately, the less we think about what we eat, the worse our diets may be -- especially if we default to snacking on so-called convenience foods that are high in sugar and saturated fats and low in nutrient-dense ingredients that sustain energy levels.

Persistent Nutrition Myths

Consider a few common myths about nutrition that can lead to "brain bonk" and low energy throughout the school day:

Myth: Proper nutrition is only about fueling a healthy body.

Food Fact: Don't forget about feeding your brain! The brain consumes calories, too, about 600 per day on average. Food choices that support cardiovascular health -- a diet primarily consisting of non-starchy vegetables and fruits, healthy oils and fats, a variety of protein sources, and selected whole grains -- are also good for the brain and may enhance cognitive functioning across the lifespan.

Myth: Loading up on carbs provides a reliable source of sustained energy.

Food Fact: The calories from added sugar and refined starches and grains may produce a brief energy surge -- one that quickly fades to lethargy. Reducing the consumption of foods with added sugar, which includes many prepared foods and snacks, is the top recommendation in the newly-released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Myth: Fats are bad.

Food Fact: The updated Dietary Guidelines continue to advise limiting the consumption of saturated fats, found primarily in red meats and dairy products. However, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are key ingredients in the much-touted Mediterranean diet, have been found to have positive effects on blood cholesterol levels. Seeds, nuts, olive oil, and avocados are ready sources of monounsaturated fats, while fish such as salmon and albacore tuna contain polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids that may also support brain functioning. Fats increase the feeling of satiety and help to keep hunger pangs at bay. This means that fewer total calories might be consumed over the course of a day.

Myth: Meaty meals are the best sources of protein.

Food Fact: Nutritional researchers are in wide agreement that most Americans rely too heavily on red and processed meats as their primary sources of protein. Another red flag comes from a recent World Health Organization report linking regular consumption of red and processed meats to an increased risk of cancer. You can add more healthy sources of protein by planning meals that include seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, legumes like beans and peas, and nuts, seeds, and soy products.

A Healthy Start to the Day

Applying these recommendations, let's take a fresh look at what recent research reveals about eating the right foods at the right time to optimize brain performance. Beginning with a healthy breakfast can mean the difference between a full morning of energetic teaching and starting to feel droopy by 10AM. At the beginning of some of our professional development sessions, we ask participating teachers about their breakfast habits. A common response runs along these lines: a bowl of cereal with a sprinkle of sugar and fat-free milk, a glass of orange juice, and maybe a bagel. When their energy starts to lag mid-morning, they grab a carton of low-fat yogurt -- and wonder why they are starving by lunchtime.

The reality is that this breakfast is heavy on carbs and low on nutrient-dense foods. In contrast, a vegetable omelet with a cup of coffee or tea provides ample fuel to keep the brain firing all the way to lunch, when recharging with a palm-sized portion of protein such as chicken or fish, along with a colorful salad topped with an olive oil-based dressing, can keep you rolling strong.

We're pleased to see that the new Dietary Guidelines are consistent with our work over the past 20 years of analyzing research on nutrition and its impact on human performance, especially for educators and their students. In our live events with thousands of educators over the years, our work on the impact of nutrition on the body-brain system is one of the components that participants tell us they most appreciate.

For further reading:

Conyers, M., & Wilson, D. (2015). Positively Smarter: Science and Strategies for Increasing Happiness, Achievement, and Well-Being. West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

See the recommendations for the Healthy Eating Plate from the Harvard School of Public Health.

2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the USDA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Feeding the Teacher's Brain: Nutrition Tips for Busy Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching is a cognitively complex profession. In the course of a single school day, an educator must make hundreds of decisions and respond quickly to the myriad unexpected turns that life in the classroom may take. You have a high-energy job, so it's essential to prime your brain and body with the right fuel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Keeping It Fresh: Ideas to Keep Leader in Me Thriving

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Podcast · Leader in Me I FranklinCovey Education · Join Molly Garcia, Leader in Me Coach, as she talks with Leader in Me experts and leadership-school practitioners to unpack the doable-today strategies that nurture a dynamic and empowering learning environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Stress and exhaustion is pushing too many out of the profession, but it's not up to educators to find better ways to "cope." The responsibility to improve working conditions lies with those lawmakers and officials who dictate what a teacher's day looks like.

Key Takeaways

1. Many school districts are still struggling with staff shortages and more educators are feeling burned out and demoralized.

2. Higher pay always helps with teacher retention, but improving working conditions-student behavior especially-has moved to the forefront of educators' concerns.

3. Lawmakers have not done enough to alleviate the crushing workload and undue stress that is pushing too many teachers out of the profession. Educators and their unions are working to change that.

Joe Holloway remembers when, not too long ago, public school educators were regarded as heroes.

Soon after in-person learning resumed, the national conversation around schools and educators turned bleak, polluted by "culture war" propaganda and anti-public education rhetoric that has only intensified over the past few months. School districts have been destabilized by severe staff shortages and more educators are considered leaving.

Meanwhile, says Holloway, "more and more has been asked of us. it doesn't seem to stop."

Higher salaries will always be a top priority , but better pay can't completely reduce the elevated levels of stress and anxiety that has plagued the teaching profession over the past decade, if not longer. The pressure of the job and the impact it has been having on educators and students hasn't been adequately acknowledged, let alone addressed.

That's why Holloway joined other members of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) and elected officials at a press conference last November to spotlight educator burnout. They urged state lawmakers to step up and allocate sufficient funding to mitigate the factors that are pushing educators to exhaustion, hopelessness, and an early exit from the profession.

"Teaching has become mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting," says Elsa Batista, a world language teacher in Newington, Conn., who also spoke to reporters. "We are strong, resilient, and creative, but we need support, we need help in our classrooms. Right now, that's not happening, and we cannot afford to lose more teachers."

A Major Public Health Challenge

The authors called stress and burnout a "major public health challenge confronting the education system as teachers are essential individuals supporting children and youth in their formative years."

A continued failure to understand the factors that lead to high teacher turnover, such as teacher stress and burnout, is creating a ripple effect, explains Wendy Reinke, a University of Missouri professor in school psychology and co-author of study .

"If teachers struggle, instruction suffers, and students don't learn as they should," Reinke explains. "When there aren't enough teachers, schools may hire uncertified staff or increase class sizes, making effective instruction and learning less likely. Disruptive behavior also spreads-kids in disorderly classrooms carry those habits into the next grade."

"Burnout" has become a ubiquitous term, but it's likely not the most accurate word to describe what educators have been enduring . (Doris Santoro, professor of education at Bodoiwn College prefers "demoralization.") "Burnout" can imply some sort of weakness or deficit on the part of the individual educator and an inability to cope-a form of victim-blaming. This point of view can lead to an abundant supply of unhelpful self-help strategies.

For many educators, using the most precise word isn't as important as understanding the root causes.

Burnout is a systemic problem, and the burden is not on the individual educator to prove they can navigate through the enormous pressure placed on them, says Kim Kneller, a science teacher in Allentown, Penn. "People should take care of themselves, but you can't just yoga, breathe, and self-care yourself out of burnout."

Kneller, who in 2024 wrote her doctoral dissertation on teacher burnout, says the focus should be on the workplace. "The people that dictate what our daily lives look like-that's where there needs to be more awareness and accountability."

'Just One More Thing Added to our Plate'

"We want to work with all stakeholders on these issues," Joe Holloway says. "But teachers having more say in curriculum is a big sign of respect. The fact that politicians are making these decisions is preposterous."

"I think [working conditions] are probably everyone's number one," says Kneller. "Everyone I know that has left has not left because of money. They've left because of something that happened to them in their place of work. They just put a boundary down, or they felt like they were mistreated. It could be the constantly changing expectations."

Not only has the workload increased exponentially, so has micromanagement, says Nicholas Cream, a social studies teacher in Holyoke, Mass.

"It's always just one more thing added to our plate. And when it comes to our classrooms, we're not really trusted to do what we know will work for our students" Cream says. "If you don't have every single minute of your class planned out, it is seen as a problem."

Cream, who is also president of the Holyoke Teachers Association, says it sometimes feels like teachers are being "pushed out, not burned out."

And when schools adopt new technologies to ostensibly help educators do their jobs, the results can backfire. A 2024 study by Auburn University found that if new learning platforms such as Canvas or Schoology were introduced removing old requirements, teachers reported higher levels of burnout. "Instead of being used to replace old ways of completing tasks, the learning management systems were simply another thing on teachers' plates," the researchers reported.

As more tasks and responsibilities are added, the profession has been transformed-and not for the better, says Becky Bissegger, an elementary school teacher in Salt Lake City.

"School isn't fun. By that, I mean engaging for students and rewarding for educators. It's the opposite. It's like boot camp for a lot of students." Bissegger says.

The toxic political climate and attacks on public education that have intensified in recent months have only exacerbated an already tense and trying environment.

"Teachers feel that there's an anti-public ed sentiment out there," Janet Sanders, a teacher in Herriman, UT told reporters in January. "It feels like we're being persecuted... We just feel threatened, and we feel for our students because we know that they will not be well served."

The Challenges Over Student Behavior

"Our students are coming into school every day with greater needs in every aspect of their lives, including around their mental health. But the support just isn't there to help teachers and staff," said Bissegger.

"That doesn't surprise me," says Nicholas Cream. "COVID changed a lot. With everything students bring into the space, you just cannot know how things are going hit or how hard a day is going to be."

Cream also suspects that the ongoing struggle over cellphones in the classroom has helped push behavioral concerns to the forefront of job stressors.

"We're all dealing with it. Students are addicted to these devices. But we're told we're the ones who must enforce the rules. Again, it all accumulates. We're all being weighed down by this daily work that has little to do with real teaching," Cream explains.

Changing the Narrative

Educators nationwide have voiced their support for clear and enforceable cell phone policies and, through their union, have successfully pushed districts to act. On other working conditions issues, including class size and more planning time, collective bargaining has proven time and time again to be an effective tool for educators.

In 2024, the Massachusetts Teachers' Association (MTA) was instrumental in a successful statewide ballot initiative in which voters decided to end the use of MCAS, a high-stakes standardized test, as a requirement for graduation . MTA President Max Page said lifting the graduation requirement will help improve working conditions by giving teachers more freedom in the classroom. "This creativity attracts students to the teaching profession and encourages them to stay," he said.

Educators are financially strapped, so higher pay is very important. But we also want to have safe, stable learning environments, and we want people to trust and have faith that we can do the job that we've been hired to do.

-Nicholas Cream , President of the Holyoke Teachers Association

Addressing the conditions that force too many educators to exit the profession is also the responsibility of lawmakers, who can prioritize long-term funding for public schools, along with the policies that Joe Holloway says, "can revitalize respect for this profession."

In January, on the eve of the new legislative session, the Utah Education Association (UEA) presented its own member survey of top educator concerns . "The results are clear," said UEA President Renée Pinkney. "Educators are calling on lawmakers to prioritize funding for long-term staffing solutions; reduce stress and burnout and provide behavioral health resources."

Changing the conversation about burnout to focus on the systemic, rather than individual, solutions is a positive first step, says Cream, especially in a treacherous political climate.

"I do think the narrative is changing, but we're still losing educators... We have people here that are really committed to their communities and to the young people that they serve. But we want to feel like we are trusted and cared about and given the tools and resources we need to succeed."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stress and exhaustion is pushing too many out of the profession, but it's not up to educators to find better ways to "cope." The responsibility to improve working conditions lies with those lawmakers and officials who dictate what a teacher's day looks like.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The last two years have been hard.

I can't engage in a conversation or scroll through social media without recognizing the pain, burden, and hardship educators are facing. Every day teachers share stories of stress, burnout, and moral injury.

Daily scrolling brings on feelings of guilt. Why?
For the past two years, I have worked in two different school systems, in two different states, as an instructional coach. I've got to work in not just one, but two schools, that have maintained positive morale during pandemic teaching.
At times I feel I have hit the jackpot. However, when you work in a school with positive morale, you realize quickly that it isn't luck. It is through commitment, visionary, brave leadership, and honest conversations that these schools have protected and maintained the well-being of their staff.

Is it hard? Yes. Can it be done? Yes.

There are no silver bullets or simple solutions. Sharing ways to support staff and build morale does not diminish the pain educators have endured in the years of high-stakes assessments and accountability coupled with pandemic teaching and mandates. Acknowledgment and honest dialogue around these challenges are essential to building morale. When we talk openly about the hardest parts and work to address them together, we have the best chance to reinvigorate our staff morale.

#1 Build psychological safety

Amy Edmondson, Harvard Professor, created the term "psychological safety" to describe organizations with open and honest communication that allow employees to have a sense of comfort about their ideas and identities at work. People feel safe to bring their whole self to work and the ability to share their feelings without repercussion, judgment, or fear of retaliation.

Psychological safety is essential to maintaining a positive school culture. Here are some ways my schools have built psychologically safe environments that align with Dr. Timothy Clark's book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation.

Prioritize inclusion for teachers

Provide opportunities for your staff to connect and feel like they belong in your learning community. At the beginning of every meeting, we have a Connection Before Content. This brief connection can range from light-hearted to serious.

At times, we ask which cat meme best represents how you feel today or other times we share what is causing us the most struggle and some strategies to manage these challenges. Prioritizing time to connect during already scheduled meeting time (not adding extra!) helps the ever-present feeling of isolation in schools.

Prioritize inclusion for learners

The "one more thing" phenomena is real. Educators feel constant pressure to institute a new initiative or try new instructional strategies from our district and division offices. We add "one more thing" to our job description all-too-often.

How do we fulfill the basic human need to learn and grow while being realistic with what teachers can manage right now? How do we balance continuing the professional learning of our building, while maintaining the well-being of our staff? We focus on one priority and keep that one priority at the center.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear discusses the origin of the word priority and how it was intended to be a singular focus. It's when a group or a person cares about one thing over all others. School leaders support morale by focusing on one-single priority. When a leader decides on a singular focus for a year, or even across multiple years, it provides clarity for the staff.

For one building it was building SEL competencies into instruction across content areas. For another, it was deeper learning - engaging students in authentic learning experiences where they see relevancy in the material being learned.

Whatever the focus, visionary leaders gather input from their staff and focus solely on the community goal - no extra, no more. Grow and strengthen in one, singular area. Once our one priority is set, we can incorporate learner-centered models of professional learning.

Use learning walks

Learning Walks support learner safety while also building community and connection. Many schools have set collaboration time for teams, whether it's PLC structures or grade/content level meetings. My school encourages teams to go on a learning walk once a month for 15-minutes during this time. The small window is key, because it still honors the team's planning time, while also allowing them the opportunity to see the instruction happening in their building.

Our learning community wholeheartedly believes that one of the best forms of professional learning is seeing our colleagues teach. The admin team sets a culture of collaboration - our doors are open, we learn alongside one another.

During these learning walks, teams choose a singular focus, connected to our school priority to observe during the learning walk. We capture our thinking on a simple noticings & wonderings chart. The team observing shares a thank you note with the teacher, naming a specific practice they observed and the impact it had on students. The team then goes back and debriefs their noticings and wonderings together. This shared reflection allows each team to think about instructional practices, while also opening up dialogue around cross-curricular opportunities and vertical alignment.

These brief learning walks have opened up teachers' eyes to new strategies to build classroom community, strategies to support student-to-student collaboration, and even ways to facilitate conferences. We don't need to sit and get PD sessions to learn. Often 10 minutes in a colleague's classroom can spark inspiration and innovation.

Provide choice-based PD

Incorporating choice is essential for learning. We ask teachers to provide students opportunities to choose goals, choose products, choose texts to read, but are we giving our teachers the same choice?

Another way my schools have built positive morale is by offering choice-based PD options. The choice is two-fold - it is a choice of which session you want to attend AND it is also a choice if you attend a session at all. We need to respect the different needs of teachers and some just don't have the capacity for anything new at this point. What point is there in having a teacher sit through professional learning that is going to cause more anxiety and stress?

Here's a snapshot of our planning process:

1. Send out a survey asking for staff input on their professional learning goals for the year. Emphasize alignment to our building priority.

2. Analyze data and plan sessions that match the highest priority of the staff.

3. Capitalize on staff-teacher leaders, coaches, admin, counselors - to design quick drop-in sessions (maximum 30 minutes).

4. Offer sessions to staff across multiple weeks at different times (before, during, and after school is ideal). Invite staff members to sign-up.

5. Run the sessions, even if there is 1 participant, and enjoy learning together.

We repeated these choice-based cycles 3 times a year - fall, winter, spring - so it was just enough to keep a culture of learning in our building while still respecting teachers' time and autonomy to make the best decision for themselves.

Learning walks and choice-based PD support positive morale because we are meeting teachers where they are. Providing opportunities to see their colleagues teach and to learn strategies most relevant to their goals and students is essential to honoring the experience and needs of educators. Support the human desire to learn and grow in a way that is safe, supported, and manageable.

5 things teachers wish their principals knew

#2 Protect teachers time

Ask teachers what is one thing we want more of, but can never get - time. Our need for planning and grading time is imperative to delivering effective instruction. Yet, now more than ever, teachers' time isn't being valued. Leaders must protect the time of their staff to build positive morale. But what does that look like?

Prioritize, pause, or cancel meetings

Starting last year, we had to think as a team which meetings were really necessary. We prioritized the importance of PLC/team meetings to collaborate, plan, discuss data, and go on learning walks. Our community zoomed in on whole-staff meetings and reflected on their impact and effectiveness.

Ultimately we decided any administrative information and announcements now goes into the weekly Friday Newsletter. There are no more meetings that don't involve either dialogue or discussion among our colleagues. Whole staff meetings are opportunities to learn, grow, share and/or celebrate. No more sit-and-get meetings - any day, any time.

Beyond restructuring meetings, you also might need to press pause when the circumstances dictate the need. During the Omicron surge of January 2022, my principal recognized the additional load on teachers. For this month everything was put on pause - all meetings rescheduled.

Teachers were encouraged to focus on themselves and their students. While some might think that this sends a message: if we don't need to meet, then what's the purpose? However, this community knows the purpose of our time together because every meeting we always start with our "why".

Pausing meetings doesn't mean that they aren't valuable, but rather responding humanely and showing grace to your staff at a time when it is needed the most, is essential to maintaining positive morale.

Offer self-paced professional learning

Another way we protect teachers' time is by offering asynchronous professional learning options. We read about the two-fold benefits of blended learning and flipped models. Let's use those models for our staff. Teachers get to choose when and where they are engaging in their learning while also experiencing blended learning first hand. If we ask teachers to re-see their instruction, we have to be willing to re-see how we are supporting teachers.

Providing asynchronous options through PD playlists or PearDeck sessions allows staff to select what best meets their needs while also honoring their professional knowledge and expertise. Public school systems require a certain amount of professional hours for our yearly plans.

When we open up the options for teachers as to how they can earn these hours (maybe it's connecting with a professional learning network on Twitter and sharing resources, maybe it's attending a webinar, maybe it's engaging in a learning walk, maybe it's attending a choice-based PD session) we are honoring their autonomy to make the best decision for them which again contributes to positive morale.

#3 Engage in continuous feedback loops

One of my coaches always said, "feedback is a gift". We can choose to accept it, use it, and grow from it. Or we can choose to put it to the side if it doesn't support our needs. When we engage in feedback loops with our staff, it allows the community the opportunity to dialogue with one another and get multiple voices and perspectives in the space. This is essential to both contributor and challenger safety.

Both of my schools use continuous feedback loops when making decisions. The loops often follow this cycle:

When we share feedback with the whole staff and take action based on that feedback, it's yet another way we build positive morale. For example, our building engaged in a feedback loop around discipline practices. A survey was sent to staff and data revealed that effective discipline was an area of opportunity for our building. We shared this feedback with our school and asked for input: "What would we see, hear, feel in school with responsive discipline?" This input was visible to all stakeholder groups.

After reviewing the thinking of our staff, the culture and climate team made an action plan. Our staff received training with restorative circles, we read excerpts of the book, Hacking School Discipline, during staff meetings, and we revised the code of conduct to reflect restorative measures instead of punitive consequences.

After these practices were implemented we asked our team to reflect and refine the action plan with our new-found data. Engaging in a feedback loop provides opportunities for your staff to contribute their thinking, while also holding space to challenge and question building initiatives.

It's important to be strategic in deciding when to engage in feedback loops. Choice overload and decision fatigue is real. Teachers and leaders are making hundreds of decisions a day.

Intentional feedback loops help alleviate choice overload by using targeted feedback and action plans to address some of the concerns in the building. The process happens one or two times a school year, so it's critical to choose the most important issues or concerns to discuss with staff. With this process leaders are equipped to make the best choices for their community with contributions from all valued stakeholders.

#4 Celebrate together

While it might not be a revolutionary idea, I would be remiss if I didn't close with the importance of celebrating your team. Humans want to feel connected and valued. How do we let our staff know we value them and how do we build systems where our staff shares appreciation for one another?

At first, we tried a Staff Shout-Out Board. This was well-intentioned, but ultimately it did not gain traction with only a handful of teachers contributing. Engaging in a feedback loop opened up the dialogue around why the Shout-Out Board wasn't connecting with the staff. Part of the issue was accessibility and the other capacity - it felt like another thing. So we asked for other ways to recognize staff that felt manageable and authentic for our community. This led to our monthly nominations.

Our school selects 2-3 departments/areas of focus each month. For example, September might be our math, music, and custodial teams. Peers nominate and share a brief write-up as to why their colleagues deserve recognition, specifically how they exhibit our values in their work. We share the nominations aloud and recognize these individuals.

Dr. Laure Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and creator of the Happiness Lab podcast, shares that part of finding our own happiness is bringing happiness to others - this new system accomplishes just that. The applause, smiles, and genuine support our staff show to one another during these shout-outs make filling out the five-minute form worth every bit of effort.

Educators are at a crossroads. We are losing caring, loving educators. Our leaders are trying to balance the needs of their students, staff, and families under immense pressure. There isn't one magic fix to maintain, or even lift morale, but with intentional effort, an open mind, a listening ear, and a willingness to rethink the way we support teachers, we might come out the other side.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I've worked at 2 schools with high teacher morale. Here's what they do differently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For the past two years, I have worked in two different school systems that have maintained positive morale during pandemic teaching.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Embedded in School Culture

Success may depend on whether a school avoids a common pitfall, Jaede cautions.

"They see it as a one-off, a professional development day or maybe a week for teachers and other school staff," Jaede says. "SEL isn't a side lesson. SEL should be however you teach, whatever content you're teaching. It's how you structure the spaces where learning happens."

In a large, urban district like Ohio's Columbus City Schools (47,000 students, 116 schools, and 9,000 staff), implementing SEL in a comprehensive way takes a lot of resources and partnerships. Jaede is the executive director of Partnership4Success, an equity- focused organization that brings together stakeholders to improve the social and emotional well-being of children. The organization works alongside Columbus City Schools to train educators and help schools create safe, positive learning environments.

Tyree Rivers, climate and culture coordinator at Columbus City Schools, has seen the work evolve over the past two decades.

"Over the years, we've tied our trauma-informed and restorative practices to SEL. These have always been districtwide initiatives, and the partnerships provide a level of expertise that enables us to do a deep dive into equity," she says.

Rivers works with a team of full-time SEL coaches who collaborate with teachers in incorporating SEL into everyday instruction. The coaches are an indispensable addition to the staff made possible by the advocacy of the Columbus Education Association (CEA).

In 2018, CEA members compiled a list of concerns for bargaining, including the need for additional SEL supports. They demanded dedicated staff to coach and help lead these efforts-and they succeeded.

"They help teachers make alignments in the curriculum, how they can tap into SEL on a regular basis," Rivers explains.

This is crucial so educators will not see SEL as that "one more thing" that is asked of them. SEL coaches walk teachers through the challenges of embedding or restructuring the curriculum. Partnership4Success has also added new training for adult SEL.

"We can be more intentional in how we embed SEL, without it being too heavy a lift," Rivers says. "It is intrinsically part of our jobs."

SEL: What Good Educators Do

Strategies that work in the largest district in Ohio can also work in the smallest district in North Carolina. The Edenton-Chowan district has only four schools and 1,900 students. Forty-five percent of students are economically-disadvantaged.

"We are Title I schools, and we have a lot of kids coming into class not being able to control their emotions, not knowing how to process things," says Stacey Banks, a fifth-grade teacher at D.F. Walker Elementary School, in Edenton.

Since 2018, the district has gradually but steadily weaved SEL practices and instruction into every facet of school life. Schools began by creating calm spaces and introducing mindfulness exercises in elementary classrooms, and the district is now transitioning SEL into middle and upper grades, with a focus on mapping SEL to state aligned practices.

"By the time the kids reach my fifth-grade class, SEL is already part of the culture," Banks says. "They have the background and foundation to help us meet their emotional needs. And they are more prepared for the curriculum."

At D.F. Walker, SEL development teams in each grade work with teachers to integrate SEL into their professional learning communities. "Every step of the way, we are pushing this stuff into our classrooms," Banks says.

The underlying ideas and practices are not too far removed from what Banks was taught as a child-or what she has tried to do in her own classroom for years. The scope, structure, and sense of mission sets the district's initiative apart, but fundamentally SEL should not be a huge leap for any educator who wants a classroom where students feel safe and included, she says.

"It helps to understand that this isn't really new," she adds. "Good teachers have been doing this for a long time."

SEL is For Everyone

For all the careful, deliberate planning and implementation of SEL, a school's program could still stumble out of the gate. How? By not adequately supporting the social and emotional well-being of educators.

"I do think it's a missing part of the conversation," says Brytan Felter, a special education occupational therapy assistant in Fairbanks, Alaska, who gives presentations on well-being and SEL for educators.

"I've been in these meetings ... with practitioners, and even though they say SEL is also for educators, I'm not hearing a lot of details. You have to be able to deescalate before you can have a positive impact in the classroom."

"We can be more intentional in how we embed SEL, without it being too heavy a lift. It is intrinsically part of our jobs."

Jaede agrees. "If you don't have self-awareness, you can't teach it to somebody else," she says. "You can't expect an adult to foster something in an environment which doesn't exist in the environment you work in." An already stressful job could easily be compounded by the new expectations around SEL. Just because educators are usually the most vocal champions for SEL, the support and resources must come from the top down, Banks says.

"We've got a lot of pots on the stove and they're boiling over," she says. "But we're taking this slow, and it may take a while to get the buy-in from everyone and see the results we want to see. But we want to move forward. This is it. We're not turning back."

__________________________________________________________________________

Six Ways You Can Speak Up For SEL

Aaliyah A. Samuel is the President and CEO of CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, which provides a framework for SEL instruction across the nation.

"Educators have incredible insight into how learning happens," Samuel says. "Their voices are so essential to the conversation." Here are steps she says educators can take to share accurate information and real stories about social and emotional learning.

1. Focus on building authentic partnerships with families in order to have meaningful conversations about the importance of SEL.

2. Begin conversations around shared goals: What do we all want for students? What should they know and be able to do upon graduation? What type of classroom will help them get there?

3. Use high-quality, evidence-based SEL approaches and continuous improvement practices to ensure every student benefits.

4. Help demystify SEL by sharing what it actually looks like day-to-day in classrooms.

5. Share real stories about the impact that social and emotional learning has had on your life or your students' lives.

6. Contact local leaders, such as school board members or legislators, to share support for SEL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite political attacks, support for social and emotional learning is strong. But schools and educators should never stop championing its importance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tips, Tricks, and Guidance for New Educators

NEA is dedicated to helping educators at every stage of their career. The new SchoolMe series is made specifically with new and early educators in mind. We know those first few years can be extremely challenging, so we're sitting down with accomplished educators to discuss their unique techniques and best practices, and to get their invaluable advice in the form of blogs, podcasts, and tip videos.

Become a Guest Contributor

Do you have advice to share with new educators? Submit your ideas and you may be featured as a contributor! Submit your ideas to newedsubmissions@nea.org.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NEA is dedicated to helping educators at every stage of their career. The new SchoolMe series is made specifically with new and early educators in mind. We know those first few years can be extremely challenging, so we're sitting down with accomplished educators to discuss their unique techniques and best practices, and to get their invaluable advice in the form of blogs, podcasts, and tip videos.