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Strategic Plan

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Our strategic plan is research-based and has been developed with input from community stakeholders. Eagle County School District continues to make progress in developing implementing and evolving our strategic plan. Processes and practices have been established and budgeting has been prioritized against strategic goals.
This plan is a starting point from which we make continuous decisions in response to conditions. No amount of written direction can encompass the highly complicated process of education children. We rely on our staff and their creative, conceptual, and rational abilities, along with the direct application of their education, experience, and judgment to activate this plan. We trust teachers to motivate and reach each student.

For lasting improvement across our district, each school must identify its unique culture along with the necessary changes in practice to provide the most significant impact for their students, parents, and staff. The School Improvement Plan serves as the annual guide for schools to achieve their goals. The district must respect and support those plans to provide an environment for success.

With our diverse student population, it is essential to provide culturally inclusive, respectful, and supportive learning environments. By enhancing our cultural competence and connecting with the hearts of our students first, we believe their minds will be more open to engaging in the academic work necessary to graduate with global-ready skills.

For the next three years, we are focused on Wellness, Engagement, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

Strategic Plan Goals by Roles

Teachers & Classrooms: Deliver a System of Customized Learning

Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)*

Utilize MTSS to meet the diverse needs of our students. MTSS includes:

English Language Acquisition

Tailored Instruction for Students with exceptional needs

Identify and leverage opportunities for online & blended learning for students and teachers

WELLNESS*

Learning and service disruptions that resulted from the global pandemic will require staff to be vigilant to social/emotional and physical health needs of staff and students. (Governance Policy E-3)

Belonging and engagement*

Create classroom environments that promote respect and kindness, fair access and opportunity for all, and high achievement for all students regardless of race, gender, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and exceptional needs.

MULTI-LINGUAL EDUCATION

Encourage multi-lingual opportunities across the district so that every graduating student can speak multiple languages.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Provide high quality Early Care and Education to give students the best start possible.

INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY

Leverage technology to redefine the student learning experience. Continually strive to build better lessons and experiences through technology.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

Proactively engage and involve parents and families around class work, student behavior, and opportunities for involvement through a family-specific communication plan.

GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

Grow efforts to increase support, understanding, and appreciation of public education as the primary influence for a community's future.

*Priority tactics

Principals & Schools: Advance a Professional Model of Teaching

School Improvement Plans*

Develop and implement School Improvement Plans that are aligned to the District Unified Improvement Plan and are responsive to the specific needs of students and staff in each school.

WELLNESS*

Design and implement school/department wellness plans to address the needs of students and staff. (Governance Policy E-3)

RECRUIT QUALITY EDUCATORS

Recruit and select high-quality educators with the assistance of Human Resources.

RETAIN QUALITY EDUCATORS

Retain quality educators through competitive compensation, recognition, and support.

EMPOWER EDUCATORS

Empower educators by providing professional development that improves content knowledge and pedagogy.

*Priority tactics

District Leadership Team: Align Curriculum and Practices to High Standards

Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)*

Provide teachers, counselors, and principals with reliable and consistent structures for MTSS.

WELLNESS*

Prioritize physical and mental health as antecedents to academic engagement and achievement. Align district and community resources to support physical and mental health. (Governance Policy E-3)

Standards-Based Instruction*

Provide standards-based instruction and grading district-wide that aligns standards with lessons and assessments, ensures timely and actionable feedback, and empowers students, parents, and staff to improve student achievement.

ALIGN CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES

Follow established cycles to align curriculum, formative assessments, and resources in all content areas with the Colorado Academic Standards.

Ensure that students and teachers are engaging in tasks aligned to global-ready skills.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Partner with community organizations to align efforts, increase capacity, and advance the goals of all.

PATHWAYS IN EDUCATION

Create a locally grown Eagle County School District educator pool from current Eagle County students, staff, and residents.

EXTEND AND EXPAND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Extend and expand learning opportunities to supplement classroom learning experiences. This includes maximizing learning opportunities with community organizations.

Academic Achievement

Each student will develop the skills to be resourceful, independent learners and critical, innovative thinkers who can advocate for themselves and problem-solve effectively. Each student will apply knowledge and skills across core academic disciplines in alignment with the State of Colorado's academic standards (Governance Policy E-1).

*Priority tactics

Operations

Facilities

Utilize best practices in the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of district facilities with a focus on the health, safety, and security for students and staff.

TRANSPORTATION

Facilitate the provision of safe, secure, and consistently on-time delivery of student transportation services for those students entrusted in our care, so that all school-aged children can equally access education.

NUTRITION

Increase access to nutritional services and education in order to equip students with higher quality nutritional habits that support student health and academic achievement.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES

Provide a comprehensive and robust community-wide system around early childhood education.

FINANCE

STRATEGIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Develop a long-term budget plan focused on funding for Equity, Transparency, and Flexibility that optimizes student achievement within available resources.

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Inform participants, stakeholders, and the general public about how the budget process works, why each decision was made and how to provide input in the process.

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN

Maintain a long-range Facilities Master Plan in concert with the academic program.

HOUSING MASTER PLAN

Continually pursue affordable housing opportunities as defined by the Employee Housing Master Plan.

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Maintain a proactive & comprehensive communications plan to meet information needs of core audiences: students, teachers, parents, and community.

EMERGENCY AND SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS

Maintain a systematic and efficient emergency-level communications and safety protocol focused on preparedness and in-the-moment response that can easily be executed by various DLT/ Admin members depending on response time necessary.

TECHNOLOGY

STUDENT DEVICES

Provide safe & secure devices for each student that can enhance learning.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Enhance and maintain a secure, scalable infrastructure to support a dynamic learning environment. Develop systems and staff mitigations against global cyberattacks.

CENTRALIZED DATA STRUCTURE

Develop a central location for data that enables better analysis and visualization. This data can then be used to inform stakeholders and assist in educational improvements & interventions for students at all levels.

Character

Students will exhibit the qualities necessary to be responsible citizens and community members (Governance Policy E-2).

MISSION

In safe environments, we teach the children of Eagle County to have creative and active minds, compassion for others, enthusiasm for lifelong learning, and the courage to act on their dreams.

VISION

Global-Ready Graduates

VALUES

* Engaged Learners
* Inspired Professionals
* A Commitment to Equity
* A Sense of Adventure
* A Caring Community

Progress Made

Eagle County School District leads Colorado in mental health support, career readiness, early college access, and affordable housing. ECSD partners with Your Hope Center to position 17 mental health therapists in ECSD schools to provide intensive mental health support for students. ECSD implements universal mental health screenings, and district-wide social/emotional learning. CareerX and CareerWise combine to provide our students with one of Colorado's most productive job-shadow, internship, and apprenticeship programs. ECSD has more dual language schools than any district in the state, producing many graduates who earn the "Seal of Biliteracy". The district has made great strides in affordable housing, opening 37 rental units in Edwards, constructed without raising taxes, and 16 for-purchase units in Eagle. ECSD also has developed one of Colorado's most robust early college access programs. ECSD students earn over 7,000 college credit annually, while still enrolled as high school students, equivalent to $10M in college tuition.

Weather changes. Trails close. This plan is a starting point from which we make continuous decisions in response to conditions. Just like teaching a lesson plan, this plan is not a static mandate.

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Strategic Plan - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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Strategic Plan - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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Curricular Frameworks

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Academic standards are determined by the Department of Education or the state of Colorado, and they state what each student should know by the end of each grade level. Our Curriculum Coordinator then unpacks those standards and breaks them into frameworks that form the curriculum for teachers. For example, if the state standard says that by the end of first grade students should be able to write a paragraph, the framework would include skills and content such as ability to write a sentence and understanding of what a paragraph is. The teacher then takes the items in the framework and translates it into everyday teaching. If we're able, we provide a resource to support teachers.

In order for a curriculum resource to be adopted in Eagle County School District, it goes through an extensive process. Our Curriculum Coordinator creates a team of experts for that grade level and content area, consisting of teachers and district administrators, including representation from Special Education, Gifted & Talented, English Language Learners, and Technology for a diverse group of stakeholders. Team members research what resources they would like to see adopted and review what is being used in other districts, especially those with similar demographics to Eagle County. Then, teachers pilot a resource they would like to see adopted. The pilot process is typically a year-long for testing and review of the selected resource. After a year of use, team members will review and provide feedback on their experience and reach a consensus as to which resource to move forward with. Student feedback is also considered in this process.

The final step is to budget out the expense and present it to the Board of Education for approval and adoption.

Eagle County School District is currently in the process of making all of our Curricular Frameworks accessible to the public. This process includes removing copyrighted information so the files can be shared publicly. Thank you for your patience.

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Curricular Frameworks - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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Curricular Frameworks - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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The Answer Is Right Behind Your Forehead

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Building executive function skills is essential to successful learning.

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I don't know about you, but when I sit through a faculty meeting or professional development session of any sort, I start getting antsy by the 30-minute mark. If you can relate, just imagine how your students must feel when they've been sitting for too long. Educational brain breaks are the perfect way to help your students redirect their energy and focus when they start to fade.

I find it super-beneficial to incorporate quick mindful, physical, and mental check-ins with my students as a regular part of my classroom routine. These breaks include all types of movement, yoga and breathing exercises, as well as jokes, quick videos, and more. The activities I use have helped me throughout my lifetime, so I love sharing them with my students. Here are my favorite educational brain breaks that are sure to increase productivity and give your kids a much-needed way to unwind before the next lesson.

Mindful Educational Brain Breaks

1. Use transition times for mental check-ins

Transitions are a big part of the elementary school day. When I first started teaching 19 years ago, I was surprised by just how much time it takes to get ready for specials or to bring students back from centers. It's hard not to feel like that's lost time. That's why using transition time for mental health check-ins is such a game changer. Mental health check-ins can help students get in touch with their emotions, refresh and recharge, acknowledge and cope with negative thoughts and overwhelming feelings, and be more focused throughout the day.

2. Pretend to breathe like an animal

Source: Stephanie Sanders

This video shows students how to pretend to breath like some of their favorite animals. The snake breath involves hissing while slithering from side to side, while the whale breath has students pretend to breathe out through a blowhole! Tap into creativity by picking other interesting animals and acting them out through breath.

3. Do a 10-minute guided meditation

These guided meditations are educational and are perfect to use as brain breaks whenever you and your students just need to breathe. Catch your breath with any of these 20 guided video meditations.

4. Practice "focus ball" breathing

Walk your kids through the following exercise: Stand or sit with legs and feet together. Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Keep your fingertips touching as you pull your palms apart, forming a ball with your fingers. Press your fingertips together until you feel the muscles in your hands and arms activating. See if you feel your core tighten too. Now close your eyes and as you breathe in, inflate your ball, and as you breathe out, flatten the ball by pushing your palms together. (Repeat these instructions for 60 seconds).

Learn more: Mindful.org

5. Try the old ear-nose switcheroo

This is a quick and easy challenge to reset the brain. Instruct kids to touch their left ear with their right hand and at the same time touch their nose with their left hand. Then have them switch their hands and touch their right ear with their left hand and their nose with their right hand. Switch back and forth a few times. Then have them close their eyes, take a deep breath, and blow it all out.

Learn more: YouTube: Ear-Nose Switch

6. Take a yoga break

Source: The Pyjama Foundation

Inspire kids to move, stretch, and practice mindfulness with yoga. These printable yoga cards make it easy to incorporate yoga into your educational brain breaks. Each page includes a picture and description of the pose, and each page includes poses of increasing difficulty from level 1 to level 5. And don't worry, it's not a huge time commitment. The sequence on each card is designed to take only a few minutes.

7. Stretch it out

It's never a good idea to spend too much time sitting in one position. Allow kids to take a break and bring some flexibility back into their spines. Have them stand with their feet shoulder-distance apart. Put their left hand on their hip and raise their right hand overhead. Lean to the left and stretch their arm as far as they can to the left. Repeat on the right side. Then stand tall and slowly roll down one vertebra at a time until their hands reach the floor (or at least their shins). Have them take a deep breath then slowly roll back up. Repeat as necessary.

Learn more: Mom Junction

8. Focus on sound

Have kids sit quietly with their eyes closed. Ring a chime or gong. Have them listen carefully to the chime, feeling the vibration in their body as the sound reverberates and then slowly fades. Tell them to breathe slowly and deeply as they focus on the sound.

9. Do a quick mindfulness activity

Mindfulness activity cards provide great educational brain breaks. Stash a pack in your desk and pull them out whenever you need them. Each card will give a prompt for kids to try that will let them refocus and recharge. Perfect for moments when you need to bring down the energy in the room.

Buy it: Mindfulness Cards for Kids at Amazon

10. Chill out with this cross-body exercise

Have kids stand tall and cross one leg in front of the other while pressing the outsides of their feet together. Now have them cross their arms over each other at the wrists. Clasp their hands and curl their arms into their chest. Take a few breaths, and uncross and cross the opposite way for a few more breaths.

11. Float with jellyfish

When you really need to take the energy in your room down a notch, turn off the lights, set a timer, and put on a calming video. For example, Cat Trumpet put together a jellyfish aquarium video where kids will find themselves under the brilliant blue sea in the middle of a swarm of jellyfish. They'll be mesmerized by the slow, fluid motions and lulled into calmness by the soothing music.

12. Break out the hot hands

This is a good break when you sense a weariness in the air. Have kids rub their hands together vigorously until they warm up. Tell them to close their eyes and place their hands over their eyes. Instruct them to breathe deeply as they clear their minds and refocus.

13. Try cat and cow poses

Source: Flow and Grow Kids Yoga

Have kids start on all fours and then give them the following instructions to complete the cat and cow yoga poses: Place your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Arch your back to the sky and tuck in the tailbone (cat pose). Let your head fall between your arms. From there, sink the belly towards the ground, and lift the chest and chin (cow pose). Gently alternate between the two poses while breathing deeply.

14. Do nothing for two minutes

Never underestimate the power of stillness. When the energy gets a little ramped up, and it's time for the entire class to take a pause, have them drop everything and glue their eyes to the screen as you show this countdown. The gentle lulling of the waves and the sight of the sun sparkling off the water will reset their nervous system in a jiffy.

Learn More: Calm

15. Spread your wings (in slow motion)

Walk your kids through this winged movement: Sit cross-legged on the floor. Stretch your arms down by your sides with your palms facing inward toward your body. Slowly raise both arms while rotating hands forward. When your arms reach shoulder level, your hands should be facing forward. Continue raising arms, slowly rotating palms so that by the time hands are overhead, palms are facing each other. Slowly lower arms, repeating the rotation (palms facing each other, palms facing forward, palms facing sides) until they are once again resting at your sides. As you raise and lower your arms, stretch them as long as you can, as if you are scraping the sides of the room and the ceiling. Repeat slowly three times, breathing deeply.

Physical Education Brain Breaks

16. Play Silent Ball when you have downtime

You can play a quick game of Silent Ball anytime, anywhere. Play a quick three-minute game right before dismissal or before transitioning to a new activity. All you need is a small squishy ball. The rules are simple: 1) stay quiet and 2) don't drop the ball when passing it around. This activity is one of those educational brain breaks that builds a positive classroom community, fosters friendly competition, and boosts nonverbal communication. Enjoy the silence.

17. Line up in unique ways

Kids are very social and curious beings. Most of them love to chat with one another at any chance they can get. Lining up to leave the room for anything is the perfect chance for them to mix and mingle. Make a more productive use of this time by having students line up in special ways. Some fun ideas include lining up in alphabetical order by name, by birth date, or by height order.

18. Just jump!

Sometimes kids just need to bounce their energy out. Have them pretend they are bouncing on a mini-trampoline (this will keep their movement on a vertical plane instead of all over the room), and give them a couple of minutes to let loose!

19. Take a cue from the stadium

Here's one for a group of kids-start the wave! Beginning at one end of the room, kids stand up and throw their arms overhead, bringing them back down as they return to their seats. Each row follows until you reach the other end of the room. Amp it up by encouraging your kids to tap their feet or tap their hands on their legs so that they are in constant motion. This activity works great on Zoom too!

20. Stir the pot

Have kids visualize they are standing in front of an enormous cauldron. Inside the cauldron is an ooey-gooey pot of caramel. Take hold of a large stirrer and plunge it to the bottom of the pot. Slowly begin to stir in a clockwise direction. Have them use their whole body to help get a full range of motion in their wrists and shoulders. Instruct them to throw their hips into the action. After a minute or two, reverse the direction.

21. Make it rain

Conjure up a rainstorm! Sitting or standing at a desk or table, have kids tap one finger on the desk, then two, then three, then four, then their whole hand until you all feel like you're in the middle of a deluge. Work your way backward from five down to one as the storm ebbs away.

22. Energize with these

First, instruct kids to touch their left elbow to their right knee, then touch their right elbow to their left knee. Switch back and forth, going slowly at first, building speed until they are going at a vigorous pace. Next, do some windmills by standing tall with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms stretched out. Bend at the waist and touch their right hand to their left toes, then their left hand to their right toes. Switch back and forth.

23. Make X's and O's

Walk kids through the following exercise: Sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground and legs together, curl your body into your lap, folding yourself into a tiny O shape. Next, open your arms and legs wide, forming an X shape with your body. Pull back into an O shape, then back out to an X shape. Repeat three times.

24. Energize in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Get hearts pumping with a quick sequence of exercises. Call out five actions for your students to do as quickly as they can. For instance, five jumping jacks, four push-ups, three sit-ups, two squat jumps, and one tree pose.

25. Take a cruise on an imaginary skateboard

Have your kids line up next to a wall and place one hand on the wall. Tell them to plant the foot closest to the wall and swing the other leg, as if pushing off the ground on a skateboard. Start slowly, with tiny swings, moving up to power pushes. Repeat on the other side.

26. Take a break to groove

Music is a great way to reset the mood in a room and raise the energy level. Put on a fun song and have a 30-second freestyle dance party. Here's a big list of school-appropriate songs for kids.

27. Or take it to the next level

Teach your kids the steps to popular dances such as the Cha-Cha Slide, the Macarena, or the Kidz Bop Shuffle.

28. Ramp up with a round of cherry pickers

This easy activity will get your students' hearts pumping and give their brains a boost. Have them jump up off the ground, then down to the floor into a push-up position. From there, instruct them to hop their feet up into a frog position, then pop up to a standing position.

29. Clap on, clap off

When you say "clap on," kids clap their hands vigorously together. When you say "clap off," they stop as quickly as they can and freeze. Or follow along with this a fun video.

30. Skip it out

When the energy is fading and kids need to get their blood flowing, put on a peppy song and pull out the imaginary jump ropes. Have kids skip or jump rope in place until the song ends.

31. Make like a blender

Tell kids it's time to make fruit smoothies. Ask them to pretend they are in a blender and they are strawberries (or blueberries or bananas, etc.). Dramatically pour orange juice or yogurt into the air in front of you. Tell kids when you flip the switch that they need to wiggle and jiggle (separately, not together) until they are each individually blended up. Start with a slow speed, moving up to medium speed, fast speed, and finally turbo speed. And then reverse it! Start at turbo speed and go back to slow speed.

32. Celebrate with a silent cheer

This activity is perfect for the end of an activity or a sustained amount of work time-especially for kids who are learning remotely. Let kids stand up and silently cheer and gesture in celebration. How animated can they get?!

33. Do a full-body workout

This kid-friendly exercise video is great for your body and brain! Kids can follow along through a set of workout moves that will get their blood pumping.

34. Play popcorn

Students will all be sitting in their chairs, and at any time, a student can jump up and say, "Pop!" Once they do, that student remains standing. If two students pop up at the same time, everyone takes their seats, and the game starts over. How quickly can the entire class pop without having to start over?

35. Hit the wall

Pushing against a solid object is a good way to displace extra energy from your body. Have kids stand facing a wall with their arms stretched out in front of them, palms on the surface of the wall. Push the wall away with all their strength for a count of ten. Relax for five seconds, then push again. Other activities they can do at the wall include calf stretches and wall push-ups.

36. 3, 2, 1 blastoff!

Instruct kids to stand and then squat down with their hands on the ground in front of them. All together, count down 3, 2, 1. When you get to zero, they should push up like a rocket, jumping as high as they can-letting all of their energy burst from their center.

37. Quick as a snap, wink

This is a quick and easy refocusing activity. Tell kids to snap their left fingers while they wink their right eye. Switch to snapping their right fingers while winking their left eye. This activity is particularly effective for younger learners who may find both activities challenging.

38. Balance break

A great way to get kids out of their chairs is to practice balance. Have them hop on one foot. Then up the ante by having them stand on one foot and bend their other knee out in front of them.

39. Tabletop push-ups

Kids can use their desk, a chair, the side of their couch-anything really. Have them place their hands on the table and focus their eyes in the center, moving down slowly and pushing back up.

40. Try some facial gymnastics

Have kids get their silly on for 30 seconds. Tell them to wiggle their eyebrows up and down as fast as they can. Then try to raise one eyebrow at a time.

Mental Brain Breaks That Are Educational

41. Take a comedy break

Comedy is a great release when the atmosphere is feeling a little intense. Show a funny video clip or have kids volunteer to tell a joke or pose a few silly riddles. We have compiled a number of jokes by theme on WeAreTeachers for kids of all ages for guaranteed laughs. For example, your students will love one of our most recent additions, 34 Cat Jokes for Kids. From there, you can find dog jokes, seasonal jokes, food jokes, and much more.

42. Share fun facts

In addition to joke compilations, we have plenty of fun fact lists on our site with themes that will thrill your students. Plus they're an educational way to teach your students new information during brain breaks. Get started with these fun feline facts to accompany the jokes above. Meow!

43. Practice another language

Source: startasl.com

Teach your kids the alphabet in sign language. Use brain breaks to practice by singing the ABCs while signing the letters. Then practice vocabulary words by spelling them out loud while signing the letters.

44. Find out how it's made

Remember that classic Sesame Street video about how crayons are made? We watched in awe as crayons rolled off the assembly line, wrapped in paper, and then slipped into those familiar cardboard boxes. Kids today are just as fascinated by how things are made! Here are our favorite videos about how things are made-from fireworks to LEGO.

45. Take a doodle break

According to researcher Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, downtime is essential for brain health. Kids need time for their growing brains to integrate and process the vast amount of information they receive each day. In other words, it is actually beneficial to give our kids time to allow their minds to wander. Try this: Set a timer for three to five minutes and let kids silently doodle with pencil and paper or a dry-erase board and marker while soft, calming music plays in the background.

Learn more: Sage Journals

46. Try a directed-drawing activity

Directed drawing activities walk your students through the process step-by-step so anyone can create their very own masterpiece. Teachers can lead the session by drawing on the whiteboard or chart paper while students follow along. Even better, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that lead the lesson, giving you a little break too. We have done the work and gathered some our favorite free directed-drawing activities for kids. Grab your favorite art supplies and get creative!

47. Gather your favorite GIFs

Make a slideshow of your favorite GIFs and have your kids act them out. Funny animals are a good place to start!

48. Find the object

Kids don't even have to get out of their seats for this one, but they can! Have one student start by finding an object and saying, "I see something beginning with the letter [fill in the blank]." The first person to guess the item correctly gets to choose the next object. This can be a fun one to play on Zoom too! You can have kids add in additional clues to help.

49. Clap for a little call-and-response

Pep things up with a little call-and-response clapping. It's simple to do and is often used in the classroom to get students' attention. Simply clap out a pattern that your kids will repeat back to you. Switch out the pattern a few times until everyone is focused and engaged. Alternatively, try a vocal call-and-response. Sing out a few riffs and have kids echo the tune back to you.

50. Color yourself mellow

Even grown-ups have picked up on the coloring craze as an excellent way to calm down and zone out. Put on some nice mellow background music, set a timer, and pass out some of these free mandala coloring pages.

51. Try a brain-break spinner

One way to make sure educational brain breaks are effective is to change up activities. Check out these online movement spinners for Wheel of Fortune-type games that help you add variety to brain breaks!

53. Would You Rather?

Students of all ages love participating in Would You Rather? videos, which can be found all over YouTube these days. Each video is approximately 8 minutes long, and students are given two scenarios where they choose which one they would rather participate in. Topics range from food items to activity choices to places to visit and more. As students choose the scenario, they move to either the right or left side of the room. Students then perform 30-second rounds of a specified exercise before repeating the process with another choice. Some of our favorite Would You Rather? channels include PE with Mr. G, Phonics Man, and Fix and Play. Students love when their teacher participates with them in the fun!

Learn more: PE With Mr. G

52. Write it out

Don't underestimate the power of journaling or creative writing. Give your kids a 5- or 10-minute break to open up a page of their notebook and write about anything they'd like. They don't have to share it with the class or do anything else with it; just use the quiet time to focus on something they love and want to write about.

Educational Video Brain Breaks by Grade Level

54. Brain-break compilations by grade level

If you are looking for a sample of brain breaks suitable for your students by grade level, look no further. We have created separate links of 25 videos each for individual grades at the elementary level. Go down the list and find your favorite!
Kindergarten Brain Breaks First Grade Brain Breaks Second Grade Brain Breaks Third Grade Brain Breaks Fourth Grade Brain Breaks Fifth Grade Brain Breaks
What educational brain breaks do you love? Share them in the comments!

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Quick, easy educational brain breaks that will help students re-energize, refocus, and give their brains a much-needed boost.

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Working in a classroom might be new to you. Read how one teacher accidentally found her new identity.

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I've always liked the title of Anne Tyler's book The Accidental Tourist, perhaps because much of my life-and certainly my teaching career-seems accidental. I'd love to say that I never wanted to be anything but a teacher. In truth, I aspired not to be a teacher.

My mother was a teacher-a very strong one. For one year in my early adolescence, I went to the school where she taught. It was a dismal year for me. I was the new kid in my class, having just moved with my parents from another town. I was too tall for 6th grade. My hair was too long (until I made an argument for getting it cut, and then it was too short, too straight, and too stubborn). The school was very different from my prior school, and I couldn't quite figure it out. I was pathologically shy.

The teachers in the school were good people and good educators. That made no difference. From time to time, a teacher would say something to my mom about me and the comment would innocently make its way into dinner-table talk at home. I hated the feeling of being watched and talked about. I vowed with rancorous fervor that I would never under any circumstances be a teacher.

I didn't major in education in college. My first job out of college was stultifying and had nothing to do with teaching. One Friday in late October, finding the morning at work to be particularly tedious, I read the want ads in the local paper at lunch. There was a teaching vacancy in a town an hour away that I had never heard of. I took the afternoon off, applied for the job, and began teaching the following Monday.

To say that I didn't know what I was doing when I entered the classroom redefines the word understatement. I planned to finish out the year in that little rural school and then get a "real" job. That was four decades ago, and I've never since had the inclination to do anything but teach.

Nonetheless, my career evolved-as it began-more by happenstance than by design. Teaching works for me, my work is satisfying, and I feel proud-at least on many days-of what I do. But when I reflect on why all this is true, one thing is clear: It's not because I had a clear sense of direction at the outset!

I've learned a great deal about high-quality teaching from things that worked in my classroom-and things that didn't-and from watching teachers whose work speaks of excellence. Of the many elements and practices that make up the architecture of effective teaching, I offer here five that I have come to believe are foundational.

Teaching is hard. Teachers at every stage need to be cultivated. That's certainly the case in the novice years, when a teacher is practicing who he or she will become. It's important for each fledgling teacher to find an environment that nurtures fearless practice and discovery. Early in my journey as an accidental teacher, I taught in three settings for roughly a year each. In each place, I learned an immense amount, and each place contributed significantly to my understanding of teaching. Two of the schools had relatively toxic environments; the third was neutral. I'm not sorry I worked in any of these settings, but I would have been a very different teacher-and not as good a one-had I remained in any of them for long.

The fourth school in which I taught was precisely the right setting for me during the years I was there. It was relatively small; in a larger place, I would have been lost. It was, when I began teaching there, fairly unsophisticated in its pedagogy and expectations. That, too, was right for me; I'd have felt like a failure in a cutting-edge place. The community was embracing; and I needed the sense of being known, welcomed, and trusted. The district leadership was, for the most part, open to new ideas. In that way, the school was an incubator for creative teaching.

During the years I worked at this school, the community, the district, and the school changed in a way that mirrored my own development. We grew up together, which continued to make the place fresh and challenging for me for nearly two decades. Leaving there was wrenching. I wanted more than anything to continue teaching in that place that stretched and nurtured me.

Serendipitously-accidentally?-an opportunity to be part of a university faculty opened up just at the point when the district leadership changed. I would not have accepted the university position, however-I would not even have noticed it-except that the new leadership felt pernicious to me and I sensed that remaining in the school would erode my growth rather than contribute to it.

I wasn't able to articulate all my thinking at that point, but here's what I know now: The places in which we teach shape who and what we become. If they don't feed us as human beings and as teachers, we atrophy. In teaching and in life, if we are not growing, we are losing ground. So a school, school district, and community need to be the right fit at the right time to fuel our professional and personal evolution.

A job is something that has to be done to receive a paycheck. All legitimate jobs are worthy, of course, but a calling is something more. It challenges us to be more than we think we can be and to draw on capacities we didn't quite know we had. A calling becomes a way of life, offering us the opportunity to affect individuals in a profound, enduring way.

I once asked two nurses in difficult hospital settings why they each did what they did. The first said, "because I am most fully alive when I'm here." The second responded, "because I can give people hope when they are in pain and companionship when that's all that's left." I found it interesting that neither spoke about the actual medicine they were practicing or the routines they followed every day. Those things were integral to their success, yet these two people did not see their knowledge and skills as ends, but rather as tools in service of something greater. If I get sick, I hope I'll have the good fortune to be aided by someone who is knowledgeable about medicine, but who also, like these two nurses, feels called to do everything feasible to help me heal-and who feels most fully alive while doing so.

Great teachers are like those nurses. They feel called to connect content and kids. They understand that they interpret shared human wisdom, codified in the academic disciplines, to young people who need to make sense of life. They look at both the content they teach and the people whom they ask to learn that content with considerable reverence, and they find what Steven Levy (1996) calls the genius in both content and in students. They dignify whom and what they teach by making the act of learning dynamic and compelling.

Excellent teachers never fall prey to the belief that they are good enough. The best teachers I have known are humbled by how much more they need to learn. They don't add to the chorus of voices chiming, "I already do that."

High-quality educators are determined and often voracious learners. They seek daily to understand their content more fully, to probe the mystery of the young lives before them more deeply, and to extend their pedagogical reach beyond yesterday's boundaries. They know that the parameters of their own lives are extended every time they extend possibilities in students' lives.

These teachers seek out the best professional development opportunities. They read about education. When a district or school fails to support their learning meaningfully, they become their own professional developers.

Two years ago, as I conducted a multiday workshop in the late spring, I became aware of one older man within the group. His questions were interesting, and it was clear he was engaged with the ideas. At a break, this man came up to ask me another question. During our conversation, he remarked wistfully that he would soon be retiring after 40 years as a classroom teacher. My first response was to ask him why he'd chosen to come to a professional development session on a complex topic so close to his retirement date.

"Oh," he replied, almost surprised by my question, "I promised myself that I would learn something new every single day I was a teacher. I've kept that promise for four decades. I'll keep it until the day I close the classroom door behind me." He paused for a moment and continued, "How else could I have been the teacher my students needed?"

The pursuit of quality occurs on at least three levels.

Develop friendships with colleagues who set high standards. Such educators are in every school, and their partnership provides both light and energy for professional growth. It's as true in the teaching life as in high school that we take on the attributes of those we hang out with. When we spend what little free time we have at school with colleagues who watch the clock or who have ready reasons to dismiss whatever threatens the status quo, we're more likely to have our aspirations lowered than raised.

I am a better teacher many times over because of people like Diane Wiegel, Judy Schlim, Debbie Kiser, Nancy Brittle, Sandra Mitchell, Mary Ann Smith, Dick Rose, and so many other colleagues who constantly reminded me of what excellence in the classroom looks like-and what is required to achieve that level of quality. Those teachers are roughly my own age. But I also learned much from Mrs. Gardner, who taught next to me during my accidental first year of teaching. It was her final year as a classroom teacher. She modeled excellence in everything she did, answered my naïve questions efficiently, listened when I was discouraged, and offered suggestions she knew were within my reach. She informally provided my first meaningful course in education over the eight months that I knew her.

As a more seasoned teacher, I learned from top-rate new guys on the block like George Murphy. Teachers like George, infused with the brash energy of youth, brought knowledge and strategies that I found fresh and renewing. For example, George taught his high school biology students to understand the scientific process in an indirect and potent way by involving them with a mock archaeological dig staged by students from the previous year, which involved hypothesizing about what was revealed by the artifacts they discovered. Then he reinforced that understanding by having them stage a dig for the next year's biology students. Through this project, students had to encounter uncertainty, look for clues, hypothesize, test conclusions, and so on.

There's something to be learned from everyone, and there's rarely a reason to be unwelcoming to anyone. Nonetheless, it makes a difference when professional friendships multiply your effectiveness rather than deplete it.

Develop a keen sense of what quality looks like. Such organizations as the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Middle School Association, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have delineated the attributes of high-quality teaching. Many books now exist that break down the elements of great teaching-Charlotte Danielson's Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (ASCD, 2007); James Stronge's Qualities of Effective Teachers (ASCD, 2007); Ron Brandt's Powerful Learning (ASCD, 1998); or the National Research Council's How People Learn (National Academies Press, 2000), to name just a few. These would have been a godsend to me as a young teacher. I was largely on my own to discover the characteristics of high-quality work; my focus would have been sharper and my progress faster had I had such resources to draw on. Great teaching is both a science and an art, and many educators who are both scientists and artists can provide rubrics that point the way to excellence.

Seek quality from students. We compliment young people by asking them for their best and supporting them in achieving it. Ron Berger (2003) talks about building "an ethic of excellence in the classroom" so that students take pride in producing work that reflects their highest possible effort. Clearly this not only benefits both individual learners and society, but also benefits teachers. When we ask students to give their very best, we are obligated to be sure the work we assign is worthy of that level of effort. In learning how to explain quality to young learners, we become clearer about how it looks in our own work.

It's a reality that in every human endeavor, those who are most successful work the hardest. In Outliers, in which Malcolm Gladwell (2008) describes boundary-breaking people in fields from technology to music, Gladwell notes that it was relentless effort more than raw talent that helped these professionals reshape their fields. We have no reason to assume otherwise in teaching.

Most teachers can mount a defense that they work hard. What makes the difference in the work ethic of high-quality teachers is that their work is regenerative; they draw energy from what they do. They achieve the state that Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (1990) calls flow, a highly satisfying condition in which an individual feels aligned with a task and the work becomes its own reward. Some educators experience flow in teaching because they find their content fascinating, some because they find it rewarding to make a difference in students' lives, some because they love the creativity involved in making instruction work for a diverse group of students, and some because of the personal growth that stems from their work. Whatever the reason, teaching generates their energy rather than depletes it.

Most excellent teachers I know have "alternative energy sources," passions outside the classroom that renew their teaching energy. Those passions not only feed their teaching, but inform it as well. One teacher explained that his love of mountain climbing revealed things about himself and about the nature of teaching that he would likely never have understood without that pursuit. Another teacher said, "I give a lot of my life to teaching, and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I am a better teacher because of the times I can leave it behind for a while and give myself fully to something else."

There is no off-the-shelf blueprint for building a highly successful teacher. Yet excellent teaching, like excellence in all human endeavors, comes in significant measure from the right fit, a higher purpose, hard work, and perseverance. The truly good news is that those things are within our reach.

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What builds a solid teacher? The right setting, a sense of calling, a zeal for learning, and a renewable energy source.

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Abstract

What Is Classroom "Management"?

How Did We Get Here?

Reimagining Classroom Expectations

The Steps in Practice

Teachers should be cultivators-not managers-of their classroom environments.

Abstract

What Is Classroom "Management"?

How Did We Get Here?

Reimagining Classroom Expectations

The Steps in Practice

The 1st grade students were sitting in a circle around the teacher on the carpet, reading about the different kinds of bird beaks. Every student, that is, except Samuel, who was pacing in front of the door. He folded his arms and twisted his mouth into a grimace, clearly looking for the perfect opportunity to make a run for it. Spotting him, the teacher looked in his direction and said, "You have until the count of three to make a better choice."

"No," Samuel responded. "You make a better choice and move my clip back up." He was referring to the system the teacher used to "manage" classroom behavior; students would move a clip with their names up or down on a chart, based on good behavior or misbehavior. The teacher looked at me, the observing instructional coach, with exasperation written all over her face. Later, she told me, "I just don't know what to do. They don't listen. And I can't seem to get anything done."

In my various roles over the years as a teacher leader, new teacher mentor, coach, and assistant principal, this statement- I just don't know what to do-has been an all-too-familiar cry. When teachers feel frustrated and overwhelmed by students who seem to be "out of control," they try multiple approaches to "manage" behavior, from charts and point systems to notes and treasure boxes and everything in between. But what if the issue lies more in our approach?

What Is Classroom "Management"?

The term "classroom management" refers to the strategies a teacher has in place to ensure an environment in which students can effectively learn. Traditionally, this involves teaching expectations, routines, and procedures early in the school year (Lester, Allanson, & Notar, 2017). Research suggests that carefully constructed routines significantly affect social and emotional development and reduce distracting behaviors (Ostrosky, Jung, & Hemmeter, 2003). The absence of structure has been associated with negative behavioral, social, and academic outcomes (Whisman & Hammer, 2014). In addition, when teachers struggle to effectively manage classroom behaviors, they report higher levels of stress and lower levels of job satisfaction (Kwok, 2018).

In my experience, there are two extremes of classroom management. At the one end is the teacher who appears to have no control over the classroom culture, which typically manifests as students talking while the teacher is (and therefore unable to hear instruction or directions) or students off-task during work time. This indicates that control has shifted to the students. At the other end is the overly controlled classroom, with a rigid set of rules and procedures. The power rests solely with the teacher, who is unwavering in how, when, and why they offer consequences. Both extremes are the result of a power imbalance, and the assumption is that the power needs to be in the teacher's favor for effective classroom management.

How Did We Get Here?

Only about half of all U.S. teacher education programs have a course on effective strategies for managing classroom behaviors (NCTQ, 2020). Though this is up from 23 percent in 2013, only 14 percent of current programs require candidates to model and practice these strategies in clinical situations (NCTQ, 2020). This means that a large number of teachers enter the profession unprepared to effectively cultivate a culture of learning.

While more districts now offer professional development on relationship-centered and trauma-informed approaches to classroom management, not all teachers attend these sessions or have the support they need to go from theory to practice. Thus, teachers may turn to more traditional strategies (clip charts, notes home, time-outs, treasure boxes, discipline cards). The problem with these practices is that they fail to take into consideration the differences in how and why students behave the way they do.

As students readjust to in-person learning, at a time when the pandemic is still changing our country, it is important that we remain sensitive to the vast differences in students' experiences and their varying degrees of trauma. There should be a focus on student/teacher relationships, with teachers as cultivators -not managers-of their classroom environments. I'd like to share common management missteps and suggest how teachers can move from classroom "manager" to "cultivator."

Reimagining Classroom Expectations

Classroom culture is, in my opinion, one of the most crucial components of educational practice-the one that must be in place before all other practices can work. A culture where students are aware of what is expected from them, both academically and behaviorally, and where they feel safe, supported, and part of a community, is necessary for high academic achievement.

One of the biggest classroom management mistakes is focusing on rules rather than relationships. In this set-up, students are expected to "obey" certain conditions or receive a consequence if they don't. This militant says the classroom belongs to the teacher and makes it a challenge for students to remember everything they need to avoid doing (Deci & Ryan, 2016). More recently, the trend has been for teachers to develop three to five value-focused "rules" (i.e. Be Respectful, Be Prepared). Though easier to remember, because any number of behaviors could fall under "be respectful" or "be prepared," and because students' understanding of these values can differ depending on background, culture, and experience, students may find themselves unintentionally in violation.

It is important that students have a clear understanding of what we expect of them, and why. One way to do this is to work as a class to create a series of "norms" for how everyone will "behave" when together. These are different than rules because they are collaborative rather than a list of demands made by the "authority figure." Specifically, norms represent an agreement among all community members about how they will treat one another. I find it works best when the norm begins with "We will ...", when the class comes up with no more than 3-5 norms, and when the norm is well-defined.

One teacher I work with begins with three charts of paper, each with a relationship written at the top: student to student, teacher to student, and student to teacher. The teacher starts the process by including his or her non-negotiables (for example, "we will respect one another") and then opens a class brainstorming session. The class then votes on their top 5 norms and defines clearly what each norm looks like in action. To further solidify commitment, students can sign the bottom of the page. Because students have a sense of shared ownership in the creation of classroom expectations, they are more likely to invest in them. In addition, by supporting student autonomy rather than just telling students what not to do, we promote intrinsic motivation, which supports academic growth (Deci & Ryan, 2016).

When a teacher offers praise for "good behavior," especially relationally ("I love how John is sitting quietly waiting for directions"), there are invariably students who receive less praise than others. The problem with a focus on praise is that it assumes a student can control their behavior, or that their misbehavior is intentional.

Moreover, the absence of praise for students who have not yet learned the skills to control their behavior, who do not know what they have done wrong, or who are acting out because of unresolved trauma-rather than a desire to be defiant or disrespectful-does not change the behavior, which completely defeats the purpose of a classroom management system. Another problem comes when students begin to look to the teacher to determine whether a behavior is worthy of merit, or when students are only motivated to act a certain way because they are expecting a reward (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000).

Unlike praise, positive reinforcement acknowledges desired behaviors. There is a difference, for example, between saying "I love how John is sitting quietly waiting for directions" (praising John and attaching a teacher feeling) and "John is sitting with his eyes on me" (reinforcing John's behavior and simultaneously reinforcing the expectation for those not quite there yet).

The goal here is to acknowledge everyone equally without singling out those not complying by name (for example, saying, "I'm waiting on one person" instead of "Sam, your eyes should be on me). The advantage of this approach is that student/teacher relationships are not determined by the degree of reinforcement a student receives. It also allows for an immediate change in unwanted behaviors.

When using positive reinforcement, teachers need to first provide clear directions that include a cue to begin (when I say, "go"), what to do, and how to do it (quietly, without talking, within a certain time), and then narrate behaviors to ensure everyone knows what to do.

My state uses the RTI2-B (Response to Instruction and Intervention for Behavior) framework, which promotes problem-solving approaches and focuses on teaching appropriate behaviors as opposed to punishing inappropriate ones. However, despite this emphasis for behavior support over the last decade, it has been my observation, both as a traveling instructional coach and as an assistant principal, that many teachers in K-2 classrooms still rely on traditional, punishment focused approaches (time out, moving clips, pulling cards, sending notes home, taking away behavior points). Based on my conversations with them, this is usually because these approaches are familiar and because teachers are afraid to try something new.

The problem with this approach is that it assumes all students are deterred by the same "punishment." Over the years, I've noticed that different students are deterred by different things, which renders a centralized punishment system useless. Moreover, these approaches rely on shame and embarrassment as a means of control, which can damage a child's self-esteem (McIntosh, Sugai, Simonsen, 2020). Most significant, this type of management assumes a student knows what they have done "wrong," which may not always be the case (Romi, Lewis, & Salkovsky, 2015).

A restorative approach to classroom cultivation provides a framework for students to understand what they did wrong and why they did it and come up with a plan to do better next time. A reflection sheet, which can be adapted for all grade levels, is my favorite tool. I like to recommend this strategy when a student is struggling to meet the classroom norms, even after a "warning" or reminder. Teachers can give a sheet to students following a behavior incident that asks students to explain what happened, how they were feeling when it happened, why it was inappropriate, and how they can do better next time (see sheet examples for 1st grade ; for 3rd to 5th grade ; and for middle school and high school ). Younger students can color a picture, write responses, or explain orally to the teacher. The key to this strategy's success is meeting individually and privately with the student at their desk or the teacher's desk to talk about what happened and hit the "reset" button, so that the student knows they are resuming regular classroom activities with a clean slate. The privacy also prevents students from feeling singled out or embarrassed.

Student background, culture, and previous school experience all play a role in determining how and why students behave (or misbehave) the way they do. By ignoring these important dimensions of student identity, teachers find themselves "attempting to manage fragmented, disconnected, and incomplete students" (Milner & Tenore, 2010, p. 567). A universal application of rules and consequences "alienate[s] and marginalize[s] some students, while privileging others" (Weinstein, Curran, & Tomlinson-Clarke, 2003, p. 270).

In a classroom where strong teacher/student relationships exist, there is usually little need for rewards and consequences. Students follow expectations because they feel a sense of collective responsibility and know that their teacher cares about them. When off-task behavior does happen, students are either able to self-correct or the teacher understands why the behavior happened and is quickly able to deal with it.

I often recommend the following strategies to strengthen student/teacher relationships:

"2 x 10": Spend two minutes a day for 10 consecutive days getting to know each student on a rotating basis)

Morning Meetings and Closing Circles: Take the first and final 20 minutes of each day to establish community, get to know one another, and address key issues and conflicts occurring in the school, community, or world

Intentional Time: Eat lunch with students or play a game together at recess

Being deliberate about building relationships with students helps them know that we love and care about them, regardless of what happens in the classroom.

The Steps in Practice

When a student fails a test or doesn't understand something we have taught, we differentiate, reteach, and try to figure out why. If the goal of classroom management is to ensure an environment where students can learn, we need to be cultivators. After all, providing students with the strategies to interact with the world they live in remains the reason for why we do what we do.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2016). Optimizing students' motivation in the era of testing and pressure: A self-determination theory perspective. In Building Autonomous Learners (pp. 9- 29). Springer

Kwok, A. (2018). Classroom Management Actions of Beginning Urban Teachers. Urban Education 54(3), 339-367.

Lester, R. Allanson, P., & Notar, C. (2017). Routines are the foundation of classroom management. Education 137(4), 398-412

McIntosh, K., Sugai, G., & Simonsen, B. (February, 2020). "Ditch the Clip! Why Clip Charts Are Not a PBIS Practice and What to Do Instead." Center on PBIS, University of Oregon.

Milner, H. R., & Tenore, F. B. (2010). Classroom management in diverse classrooms. Urban Education, 45(5), 560-603.

NQTE (2020). "Classroom Management." Research Brief.

Ostrosky, M. M., Jung, E. Y., Hemmeter, M. L. (2003). "Helping children make transitions between activities." What Works, Brief 4, Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.

Romi, S., Lewis, R., & Salkovsky, M. (2015). "Exclusion as a way of promoting student responsibility: Does the kind of misbehavior matter?" The Journal of Educational Research, 108(4), 306-317.

Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (2000). "Expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 68-81.

Weinstein, C., Curran, M., & Tomlinson-Clarke, S. (2003). Culturally responsive classroom management: Awareness into action. Theory Into Practice, 42(4), 269-276.

Whisman, A. & Hammer, P. C. (2014). "The association between school discipline and mathematics performance: A case for positive discipline approaches." Charleston, WV: West Virginia Department of Education, Division of Teaching and Learning, Office of Research.

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Avoiding Common Classroom Management Missteps

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Teachers should be cultivators-not managers-of their classroom environments.

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What do we mean by identity and why does identity matter?

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What do we mean by identity and why does identity matter?

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Identity is largely concerned with the question: "Who are you?" What does it mean to be who you are? Identity relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make (e.g., relationships, career). These choices reflect who we are and what we value. For example, we can assume that the investment banker values money, while the college professor values education and helping students.

However, few people choose their identities. Instead, they simply internalize the values of their parents or the dominant cultures (e.g., the pursuit of materialism, power, and appearance). Sadly, these values may not be aligned with one's authentic self and create an unfulfilling life. In contrast, fulfilled people are able to live a life true to their values and pursue meaningful goals. Lack of a coherent sense of identity will lead to uncertainty about what one wants to do in life.

A person may hold multiple identities such as a teacher, father, or friend. Each position has its own meanings and expectations that are internalized as identity. A major task of self-development during early adolescence is the differentiation of multiple selves as a function of social context (e.g., self with father, mother, close friends) with an awareness of the potential contradictions. I noticed this with my own 16-year-old daughter. While she was happy with her friends, she seemed to be depressed around me, or she would switch from being cheerful around her friends to being nasty with her mother. I wondered, and I believe she did as well, which one is the real her? However, as young people mature cognitively, they achieve a sense of coherence in their identity.

Identity may be acquired indirectly from parents, peers, and other role models. Children come to define themselves in terms of how they think their parents see them. If their parents see them as worthless, they will come to define themselves as worthless. People who perceive themselves as likable may remember more positive than negative statements.

Psychologists assume that identity formation is a matter of "finding oneself" by matching one's talents and potential with available social roles. Thus, defining oneself within a social world is among one of the most difficult choices a person ever makes. In the face of identity struggle, many end up adopting darker identities, such as drug abuse, compulsive shopping, or gambling, as a compensatory method of experiencing aliveness or staving off depression and meaninglessness.

What constitute the true self? The ultimate goal for individuals is to develop and nurture those choices that are consistent with their true self. To deny the true self is to deny the best within us. To find more happiness in life means to live in harmony with one's true self.

Three goals are required for the task of identity formation. The first task is discovering and developing one's personal potentials. Personal potentials refer to those things that the person can do better than other things. How can the person discover what those potentials are? The answer is a process of trial-and-error. This requires exposure to a wide array of activities, some of which we become able to do relatively well. This is recognized by the feedback we receive from others and our own positive feelings about those activities. These activities simply "feel right" to us, and these feelings are useful clues. We are intrinsically motivated to do these activities. However, the development of skills and talent requires time, effort, and willingness to tolerate frustration when we encounter obstacles.

The second step is choosing one's purpose in life. It is necessary to choose what we are seeking to accomplish in our lives. To achieve substantial success in fulfilling our purpose, the objectives must be compatible with our talent and skills (our authentic self). To choose a purpose not compatible with our capabilities is a recipe for frustration and failure. Finally, one is required to find opportunities to implement that potential and purpose. Open societies allow for role mobility and flexibility to implement identity-related choices. However, this is not the case in close and rigid societies. For some, this may lead to emigration.

Identity is never "final" and continues to develop through the lifespan. Knowing one's identity accurately increases self-esteem and reduces depression and anxiety. When people are doing what they think they should be doing, they are happy.

When people misrepresent themselves or present themselves in out-of-character ways to impress an audience, the behavior is unnatural and exhausting. The behavior requires greater cognitive resources, because the mind is filled with self-doubt, self-consciousness, and negative thoughts. Moreover, when people look to immediate audiences to help them define who they should be, how they should look, and what they should do, they are in danger of acting in ways that endanger their health, such as eating disorders and alcohol or drug abuse. For example, eating disorders are due in part to concerns about body appearance. Alcohol and drug use are related to peer pressure and acceptance.

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Identity is largely concerned with the question: "Who are you?" What does it mean to be who you are? Identity relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make (e.g., relationships, career). These choices reflect who we are and what we value.

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Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one's sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into one's identity.

Everyone struggles with existential questions such as, "Who am I?" and "Who do I want my future self to be?" One reason why may be that the answer is so complex.

Identity includes the many relationships people cultivate, such as their identity as a child, friend, partner, and parent. It involves external characteristics over which a person has little or no control, such as height, race, or socioeconomic class. Identity also encompasses political opinions, moral attitudes, and religious beliefs, all of which guide the choices one makes on a daily basis.

People who are overly concerned with the impression they make, or who feel a core aspect of themselves, such as gender or sexuality, is not being expressed, can struggle acutely with their identity. Reflecting on the discrepancy between who one is and who one wants to be can be a powerful catalyst for change.

The idea of an identity crisis emerged from psychologist Erik Erikson, who delineated eight stages of crises and development, a concept later expanded upon by others. Although not a clinical term, an identity crisis refers to facing a challenge to one's sense of self, which may center around politics, religion, career choices, or gender roles.

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A hunger for authenticity guides us in every age and aspect of life. It drives our explorations of work, relationships, play, and prayer. Teens and twentysomethings try out friends, fashions, hobbies, jobs, lovers, locations, and living arrangements to see what fits and what's "just not me." Midlifers deepen commitments to career, community, faith, and family that match their self-images, or feel trapped in existences that seem not their own. Elders regard life choices with regret or satisfaction based largely on whether they were "true" to themselves.

Authenticity is also a cornerstone of mental health. It's correlated with many aspects of psychological well-being, including vitality, self-esteem, and coping skills. Acting in accordance with one's core self-a trait called self-determination-is ranked by some experts as one of three basic psychological needs, along with competence and a sense of relatedness.

Everyone subconsciously internalizes conventions and expectations that dictate how they believe they should think or behave. The decision to examine or challenge those assumptions, even though it's difficult, is the first step to living more authentically. This set of 20 steps can guide you through that process.

There can be tension between being wholly yourself and operating successfully in your relationships and career. No one should be completely deceitful or completely forthright; a guiding principle to achieve a balance is that as long as you're not forced to act in opposition to your values or personality, a little self-monitoring can be warranted.

One of the most enduring theories of development was proposed by psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson divided the lifecycle into eight stages that each contained a conflict, with the resolution of those conflicts leading to the development of personality. The conflict that occurs during adolescence, Erikson believed, is "identity versus role confusion."

Adolescents grapple with so many different aspects of identity, from choosing a career path to cultivating moral and political beliefs to becoming a friend or partner. Role confusion pertains to the inability to commit to one path. Adolescents then go through a period of experimentation before committing, reconciling the pieces of their identity, and emerging into adulthood.

Identity formation is most acute during adolescence, but the process doesn't stop after the teen years. Taking on a new role, such as becoming a parent, can make self-definition a lifelong process.

As a person grows older, the overall trend is toward identity achievement. But major life upheavals, such as divorce, retirement, or the death of a loved one, often lead people to explore and redefine their identities.

How did Freud understand identity?

Social psychologist Henri Tajfel conducted pioneering research on prejudice, revealing that people favor those in their own groups, even when those groups are designated randomly, such as by people's preferences for artwork. This research was the basis for Social Identity Theory-that self-esteem is in part derived from group membership, which provides pride and social identity.

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Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one's sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into one's identity.

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Calming Room - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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Calming Room - Eagle County School District Re-50J

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Jigsaw Article B: Addressing Dangerous Behaviors in the Classroom

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Jigsaw Article B: Addressing Dangerous Behaviors in the Classroom

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Aiden spins in his chair and turns back to the front of the classroom. His fists are clenched tight and pressed against the wood of his desk. His face reddening, he looks down as the students behind him snicker and whisper.

"Excuse me?" the teacher says. "This isn't acceptable behavior in the classroom, Aiden."

She scans the room. "And I've had enough from the rest of you as well. We have a test next week. Maybe that has slipped your mind? Aiden, stay after class and we'll address this." She turns back to the lesson.

Aiden's look of anger turns to tears. He slams his fists on the desk and stands up.

"Where do you think you're going?" the teacher asks.

"I can't stand this! I'm leaving!" Aiden swings the door open, barrels through, and slams it shut. The glass in the small window cracks at the force of his anger. The class erupts in a mixture of gasps and a collective "Ooooooo!"

Aiden stands in the doorway, looking through the cracked window. He looks shocked and begins to cry. He yells, "Fine, maybe I'll just kill myself!" and runs down the hall.

The teacher isn't sure what to do next. Follow him? Keep the class in control? Report him through the school's student discipline system? She reaches for the phone to call the front office.

When aggression, violence, and dangerous behavior make their way into the classroom environment, educators' best efforts as classroom managers can be derailed. But such situations can be avoided or at least limited. A recent review of research suggests a three-pronged approach to addressing classroom crises like the one outlined above: preventing classroom disruptions or dangerous behaviors to the extent possible, reducing the escalation of such behaviors if they occur, and instituting a community-based, systemic approach to reduce future risk (Murphy & Van Brunt, 2018).

The first prong involves setting up the classroom environment with a focus on mutual respect and with clear expectations about appropriate behaviors and how frustrations should be handled. Educators must set and communicate (early and often) clear expectations for civility; respectful behavior; and calm and reasoned dialogue-and consequences for when a student steps out of line.

While educators may once have assumed that politeness, rational thinking, and respect would prevail in classrooms, behavior norms have shifted. More than half of all teachers report an increase in behavioral issues that interfere with teaching and learning (Scholastic, 2013). Educators can assume that rudeness, disrespectful behavior, disruptive events, and mental health crises will be part of their day-to-day classroom experiences. Regardless of the cause of the behavior problem, expecting students to behave a certain way in the classroom without clearly delineating these expectations is like giving them a test they didn't have a chance to study for ahead of time.

Just as the best way to reduce the damage from a fire is to stop it before it starts by setting up conditions that deter fire, the way for teachers to prevent disruptive behaviors is by setting up positive classroom experiences and supportive communities that build resiliency. This means teachers understand the factors associated with positive, supportive learning experiences. The following approaches help teachers proactively set up classroom communities that can prevent outbursts like Aiden's (Murphy & Van Brunt, 2018).

▪ Provide engaging content and create respectful relationships. Good teaching, in and of itself, automatically creates a protective bubble around the classroom that deters aggressive and violent behavior. Not that bad behavior only happens to bad teachers, but students are more responsive and engaged when lessons are shared in meaningful, relevant, creative ways, and when teachers foster respectful relationships.

▪ Set expectations and share concerns early on with administrators. The best behavioral standards and expectations for the classroom anticipate difficult situations and issues; and they are designed collaboratively with students. It's also key to report disruptive or threatening incidents to appropriate school officials; this connects classroom management efforts with broader school safety efforts and adds context and collaboration to how you responded to the problem.

▪ Incorporate behavioral skills training for students. Students become part of the solution when they have effective character education and ample social-emotional learning skills. Skill-building can range from teaching students what makes for civil discourse to working with particular students to help them understand and monitor their own behaviors. Students can learn to navigate difficult or frustrating interactions; they can develop increased impulse control, frustration tolerance, and communication skills.

For instance, if Aiden's teacher had identified a potential conflict between Aiden and other students prior to this outburst, she could have explored his perceptions of the issue, discussed problem-solving strategies he was comfortable using, and identified alternatives for handling whatever was irritating him without cursing and fleeing in rage. Keeping her frustration in check might've also helped de-escalate the situation. Effective teachers also use positive social attention, praise, and appropriate consequences to help students understand appropriate behaviors.

▪ Foster a culture that respects everyone. A classroom that values mutual respect, the contributions of all students, an awareness of cultural differences, and opportunities for reflection and feedback is one that thrives. Acknowledging the importance of differences in the classroom is particularly critical. Cultural competency-ways for both teachers and students to avoid biases that can lead to assumptions about student behaviors, stereotypes, microaggressions, and outright discrimination-is central to any effective effort to de-escalate threatening behaviors.

Despite our best efforts, setting the right conditions in the classroom may not always be enough. Teachers need skills in crisis de-escalation to offer effective intervention for disruptive or dangerous behavior. These skills include adopting a stance of equanimity in the face of chaos or crisis; avoiding shaming or embarrassing the student; staying solution-focused (that is, addressing the immediate crisis and leaving larger corrective actions for a later time); and ensuring that supportive resources are in place for teacher and student alike (Van Brunt & Lewis, 2014).

Teachers who are successful at crisis de-escalation have an array of techniques to choose from. Every educator can bring a different approach to crisis management while still being grounded in the foundational principles of crisis de-escalation. Teachers capable of calming a crisis know the signs that often precede the escalation to physical violence and more significant disruptions. They are aware of how student differences can-and should-influence how they must respond to each student.

Good crisis de-escalation is an exact art and a subtle science. Prepared teachers understand how to select the best tool for each situation and apply it with skill. Our research highlights the following effective approaches.

▪ Adopt a stance of equanimity. A critical element to crisis de-escalation is keeping a sense of balance and patience in the face of chaos or crisis. When we remain calm, cool, and collected in crisis, we are better able to draw from the full range of our training and skills to address the situation. Approaching a student with respect and patience is foundational in managing a crisis. For instance, if a learner had for some time been involved in conflicts with other students, it would be easy to lose patience with him; but by taking a moment to acknowledge your own bias and emotions related to the situation, you could approach the student from a calmer place.

▪ Have one-on-one conversations with an acting-out student, using counseling skills. Counseling skills include active listening; reflection; reframing; and, in some cases, applying humor. While Aiden's outburst in the middle of a lesson was certainly inappropriate, by taking a moment to listen and acknowledge what had upset him instead of immediately admonishing the behavior, his teacher might have avoided escalation.

▪ Try techniques like motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2002) that help a teacher express empathy for a student and his situation, attempt to understand why he is upset, avoid argumentation, and roll with the student's resistance or frustration rather than confronting it inflexibly. Such approaches are useful for working with students resistant to change.

▪ Use solution-focused techniques that look toward the future, away from what was and toward what can be. This means viewing a crisis as an opportunity, helping students identify their behavior choices, and encouraging critical thinking and personal responsibility. Solution-focused teachers give students outlets to avoid a further escalation of a crisis. In Aiden's example, instead of immediately demanding to know where he was going, the teacher could've given Aiden a quick option to stay in the classroom.

In experienced hands, these techniques can support a healthy classroom environment, promote student learning, and protect students and teachers from escalating violence (Van Brunt & Murphy, 2018). They are effective in helping a student thoughtfully consider his or her behavior.

Educators also need to recognize when behavior is escalating toward imminent danger. This requires shifting from a crisis de-escalation mode to an emergency mode. As students become increasingly upset, they often display a pattern of behaviors and observable characteristics (including agitated body language like pacing; accelerated breathing; or signs of withdrawal like crossing arms or staring with no response). By becoming familiar with these patterns, we can identify when a violent episode might be about to erupt. Strategies for handling emergencies include drawing on an established plan for safety and action, using physical restraint, monitoring, dismissing the class, and initiating police involvement.

It often feels like classroom management begins and ends at the doors of the classroom. That approach can create isolated responses to student behaviors that would be better understood and addressed with greater collaboration with others in the school community. The third prong encourages all school adults involved with a struggling student to see their role as a part of a systemic, coordinated crisis- and violence-prevention response. Classroom management and ongoing interventions should be combined with, and informed by, actions like psychological and threat-assessment processes or behavioral-intervention analysis. Questions of when to involve parents or refer a student to mental health treatment (or law enforcement officials) are important considerations in more serious incidents.

Behavioral Intervention Teams (BIT) (Van Brunt, 2012) are often a missing link in preventing serious school violence in K-12 schools. These teams are made up of five to seven professionals from areas such as school guidance, student discipline, psychological services, school resources, and disability and 504 accommodation support.

Behavioral Intervention Teams should meet at least weekly and follow three primary phases of action: (1) gathering information from the community about situations that involve disruptive or threatening student behavior, (2) applying an objective risk rubric or threat assessment to each situation, and (3) developing collaborative intervention strategies.

After a classroom disruption or crisis occurs, the involved teacher must share information about what happened with the BIT, supplying pieces of the puzzle to help everyone address the broader issues. If such a team had been in place with Aiden, it would likely have encouraged the teacher to report early any similar episodes with him that involved bullying and suicidal or aggressive behavior. Aiden would be offered counseling support, school staff would consider involving his family, and a progressive discipline policy would be applied to address his classroom behavior. The team would take a larger view of the problem-without becoming siloed within student discipline, counseling, or law enforcement responses-and develop a solution-focused, case-management plan to reduce the risk of future violence or disruptive behavior.

District and school leaders can help put each prong of this approach in place. Teachers will need guidance on how to set clear expectations about classroom behavior, help students develop skills to manage their emotions, and foster a supportive classroom environment. Teachers should also be provided with knowledge and practical expertise in crisis de-escalation skills. Leaders might encourage teachers, in professional learning communities or simple groups, to practice keeping calm when challenged by student behavior, learn basic counseling skills useful in de-escalating a crisis, and learn how to stay solution-focused in their interventions.

And ideally, teachers should be connected to a larger process, such as a Behavioral Intervention Team, to address the underlying causes of any dangerous behaviors and to develop ongoing, multidisciplinary ways to intervene-for everyone's safety.

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Addressing Dangerous Behavior in the Classroom

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A three-pronged approach can help educators prevent or de-escalate classroom crises.

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First 9 pages of chapter 1; author Wendy Ward Hoffer

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Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

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Each student comes to school, not only with unique academic needs, but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

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The percentage of English-language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools is steadily increasing, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While much of the growth is in urban areas that have traditionally attracted immigrants, significant increases in ELL populations can be found all across the nation. Since new and veteran teachers often feel inadequate when teaching ELLs, it's crucial that we acquaint ourselves with them as individuals and avoid stereotypes or misconceptions about these learners.

After numerous conversations with other educators, including some fellow English-as-a-second-language teachers, I've compiled a list of common assumptions that might affect our ability to relate to our ELLs.
Assumption #1: ELLs are homogeneous.
Reality: Contrary to stereotypes, not all families of ELLs are Hispanic, poor, and/or uneducated. English-language learners span a wide array of cultures, races, socio-economic levels, and academic experiences. There are growing numbers of Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and European populations in pockets of the United States. Furthermore, it's not uncommon to find a variety of cultures, dialects, and races in any given ethnic group. Also, many of our ELL families immigrate for professional reasons, and they are well-educated and economically stable.
Assumption #2: All ELLs are immigrants.
Reality: In 2012, 57 percent of English-language learners were born in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition. For those born outside of the United States, their immigration stories are as individual as they are. And it's important to make no assumption-much less ask-about their immigration status. Not only is it illegal for educators to inquire about their status, it is completely irrelevant.
Assumption #3: Parents of ELLs do not speak English.
Reality: Just because a child is not proficient in English doesn't mean his or her family isn't. Many parents (perhaps in an effort to retain their home language and culture) will purposely not expose their children to English prior to attending school. Some students live in a bicultural and bilingual home with one American parent and one immigrant parent. A few years ago, I taught a young man whose American father had been a missionary in Mexico, where he met and married his spouse and started a family. They lived in Mexico until the son was in middle school. My student spoke very little English until his sophomore year in high school when he was served in the ESL program. Lastly, we also have many adoptees. Some of these kids may not appear as ELLs based on name, or even appearance, but they will need language support as most will speak no English whatsoever when they are welcomed to the United States by their new parents.
Assumption #4: ELLs are fluent in their native language.
Reality: It's not uncommon for children to replace their first language with English, especially international adoptees. Because they have no one in the home to converse with in their native tongues, they forget everything they learned as young children. However, you may find many of them still have difficulty understanding and producing English. These students will not need a translator, but they most definitely need scaffolding and differentiation.
Assumption #5: English-language proficiency is an indicator of intellect.
Reality: Can an English-language learner be academically gifted? Most certainly! She can also have learning differences, although we cannot identify them until we rule out language issues. While it may be difficult to distinguish between a language deficiency or a learning disability, it's crucial that we offer comprehensible input and scaffolded instruction that draws on the experiences of students in order to maximize understanding. Furthermore, assessments are not valid if students do not understand the questions, although they may be assimilating the material.
Assumption #6: Social English proficiency equates with academic English proficiency.
Reality: Academic English proficiency can take up to 10 years, yet social English is usually acquired within only one to two years. It's not uncommon for students to be fully conversational with teachers and peers relatively quickly, but still unable to grasp academic concepts because of their deficits in academic language. While it may appear as apathy or laziness, language gaps often interfere with learning, causing students to lose momentum.
Assumption #7: Using a native language in school interferes with English-language acquisition.
Reality: From annotating passages to academic conversations to brainstorming an essay, having students process content in their native language will maximize learning and help them acquire English more effectively. Learners don't need to drop their native language in order to be proficient in English. Quite the contrary. It can be an effective strategy that increases comprehension and validates the individual's identity. While they do need to be assessed in English, bilingual materials can help ELLs assimilate the curriculum and give them a jumpstart. And don't fret about your inability to understand their native language. As educators, we know full well when students are off-task. I've observed some beautiful think alouds in Thai as students discussed English readings, which positively impacted subsequent assessments.
Assumption #8: English is their second language.
Reality: It may actually be their third or fourth. And don't assume that the student's strongest language is the official language of their most recent residence. This is especially important when providing translation. How will we know? Just ask.
Assumption #9: A classroom buddy is a translator.
Reality: A classroom buddy does not need to speak the learner's native language, although it would be an asset. Classroom buddies are simply students who will watch out for our ELLs-making sure they are on the right page or website, providing handouts they may not have picked up and more. The best buddies are students who are tolerant, compassionate individuals. And while it may seem that this additional duty may be a distraction to the buddies, it can actually serve to reinforce their learning as they explain content to the English-language learner.
Assumption #10: Communication is not possible because of language barriers.
Reality: Technology tools are at our fingertips. While they may not be perfect, they are tremendously helpful. From translation to visual aids, bridging the communication gap is not an unrealistic task. Furthermore, kindness and compassion are understood by all, and a smile will speak volumes. Whether or not you share a common language, students know when you are their ally.

Bottom line, there's no room for xenophobia among educators, and we cannot allow common stereotypes to keep us from serving our ELLs well. While these common myths may be normal practice, it's high time we debunk them and learn as much as possible about our ELLs, so every student can start our classes with a clean slate.

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10 Assumptions to Rethink About English-Language Learners (Opinion)

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The percentage of English-language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools is steadily increasing, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While much of the growth is in urban areas that have traditionally attracted immigrants, significant increases in ELL populations can be found all across the nation.