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Early SEL: Improved Behavior, Improved Learning

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Early SEL: Improved Behavior, Improved Learning

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Second Step® Early Learning: Improved Behavior, Improved Learning

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https://www.kimochisway.com/make-your-own-feeling-worksheet/

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Make Your Own Feeling Worksheet - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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© 2020 Plushy Feely Corp. All rights reserved. | Kimochis, the Kimochis logo, Kimochis Toys With Feelings Inside, Bug, Cat, Cloud, Huggtopus, Lovey Dove, Clover, Bella Rose, Hero, and Nesting Heart are all registered trademarks of Plushy Feely Corp.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/free-resources-characters/

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Free Resources Characters - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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© 2020 Plushy Feely Corp. All rights reserved. | Kimochis, the Kimochis logo, Kimochis Toys With Feelings Inside, Bug, Cat, Cloud, Huggtopus, Lovey Dove, Clover, Bella Rose, Hero, and Nesting Heart are all registered trademarks of Plushy Feely Corp.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/kimochis-redo-band-aids/

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Kimochis Redo Band Aids - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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Print our Kimochis Redo Band Aids to make apologizing and redoing those hurtful moments a little better.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/kimochis-5-keys-to-communication-posters/

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Introducing the Kimochis® Keys to Communication. These keys, though simple, will provide children the skills to have a lifetime of positive relationships and connections. Even small improvements can provide powerful, positive changes in a child's life.

Introducing the common vocabulary and communication strategies built into the keys. The keys provide a concrete vocabulary that everyone can understand and use. Young children are developing language and are learning to use communication to build relationships, resolve conflicts, and negotiate. When children begin to have control over their communication, they understand that positive language and communication can bring them positive outcomes.

Building character and social-emotional learning. The keys are the communication tools that provide the "vehicle" to build social-emotional skills and to develop emotional intelligence.

Helping children learn how to use the keys in everyday communication. When children can become fluent in using the keys, they can listen openly, make positive choices, be willing to speak in respectful and responsible ways, and be open to negotiating problems. This is peace in action.

If you want to help Kimochis® help more people by translating our materials, please send your translations to support@kimochis.com.

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Kimochis 5 Keys to Communication - Posters - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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Introducing the Kimochis® Keys to Communication. These keys, though simple, will provide children the skills to have a lifetime of positive relationships and connections. Even small improvements can provide powerful, positive changes in a child's life. Introducing the common vocabulary and communication strategies built into the keys.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/kimochis-brave-badges/

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Kimochis Brave Badges - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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© 2020 Plushy Feely Corp. All rights reserved. | Kimochis, the Kimochis logo, Kimochis Toys With Feelings Inside, Bug, Cat, Cloud, Huggtopus, Lovey Dove, Clover, Bella Rose, Hero, and Nesting Heart are all registered trademarks of Plushy Feely Corp.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/the-kimochis-self-regulation-method-low-color/

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The Kimochis Self-Regulation Method - Low Color - Portal | KimochisWay.com

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Print and post the Kimochis® Self-Regulation Method with a Feelings Chart on the back for posting in all classrooms, common areas and anywhere that kids gather or play. Also, print enough to post on windows that kids can see then when they are outside (at recess or waiting to be picked up after school).

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VUSD Restorative Justice Referral Form/Ticket

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VUSD Restorative Justice Referral Form/Ticket

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https://forms.gle/PDrrzSbE4bEHdxHeA

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- Community Building Circle

- Reflection/Dialogue Circle

- Reintegration Circle (After absence/suspension/etc.)

Best practices when you have a concern about a student/staff:

1) Express your concern with the student(s)/staff privately or use other modes of intervention with the individual(s).

2) Notify Restorative Justice Practitioner by submitting this referral form for support on circles/further intervention/training/coaching.

Please complete the questions below. This will help the practitioner better prepare to support you and the other person/people. With any referral, you will be given the supports and resources necessary for any follow-up or future incidents (i.e. circle scripts, conference protocols, reintegration information + questions, etc.)

As the person submitting the referral, it is necessary that you are present for the circle. A Restorative Practitioner will reach out to confirm the date and time to prepare for the circle in advance of the requested date.

Thank you in advance for your support.

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Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) Referral Form

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Please fill out this form for yourself, a student(s), and/or other staff for the following reasons: - Community Building Circle - Celebration Circle - Talking Circle - Reflection/Dialogue Circle - Curriculum Circle - Conflict Resolution - Healing Circle - Harm Circle - Reintegration Circle (After absence/suspension/etc.)

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Restorative Practices with Ms. Healy's Class

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Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) in Early Childhood Education

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Elementary School Behavior Strategies that Work!

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Elementary School Behavior Strategies that Work!

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https://www.instagram.com/goodmorningmsfosterltd/?hl=en

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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https://www.kimochisway.com/mad-o-meter/

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Mad can be a BIG and hard feeling to have. Share with your children that feelings come and go. Explain that when we have a feeling our bodies do not like having, we can use a tool to make that feeling a little smaller or a little better.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tWK-e0lq4G-YR16mJCNbW1gv3y9RHJjE4AKMgX0xah0/edit

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"Restorative Practice Circles are a place where students safely practice listening, speaking, and practice taking responsibility for their actions. These learning opportunities ultimately build their social emotional skills and lead to emotional literacy."

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Worksheet - Peace Plan (Communicating our feelings to others)

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Worksheet - Peace Plan (Communicating our feelings to others)

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PBJBwW8ek9OQ6mi49s3TnotPsrKVWpoIFXCcxCeYgj0/edit

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Restorative Conversation Guide - W.A.R.M Convos

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Restorative Conversation Guide - W.A.R.M Convos

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B8dWgIaxGm4vhkI8gqQtiWGsS1heXO36/view

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WARM Conversation by Yari Ojeda Sandel.pdf

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ahrhQaeR7_77gyu2FWeQRECQItAhMD_DUbHR0TcZi5w/edit?usp=sharing

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Circle Guidelines - Early Childhood Education

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RJP Resources for VUSD Community - Google Drive

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RJP Resources for VUSD Community - Google Drive

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Community Wall - RJ tools you use that you'd like to share with other educators

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Community Wall - RJ tools you use that you'd like to share with other educators

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https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/9-curiosity-killers/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=022263.4

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You want your child to be curious, right? Of course you do! After all, curiosity is the drive to gather new information and experiences and it's at the very heart of learning. Studies show that kids who exhibit a higher level of curiosity are at an advantage at school and beyond, benefitting socially, emotionally, psychologically, and intellectually.

Curious souls tend exhibit a wide range of positive adaptive behaviors. They're more likely to be open-minded, emotionally expressive, have strong coping mechanisms in daunting situations, and they're predisposed to unconventional thinking (think: innovative problem solving).

Whether it's your toddler furiously exploring every inch of their new world, your 5-year-old asking "Why?" about everything, or your tween becoming myopically obsessed with the goings-ons of their peers, curiosity is an inherently human trait. It's fueled by dopamine, the same reward-seeking neurochemical that's behind the desire to eat and procreate.

In younger kids, information-seeking abounds. One study found that between the ages of 2 and 5, kids ask about 40,000 questions. But as kids get older, this insatiable desire to know can lose some of its urgency.

"What begins as a robust trait becomes more fragile over time," says Susan Engel, a professor of psychology at Williams College and author of The Hungry Mind: The Origins of Curiosity in Childhood. "It's shaped by experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and the learning environment."

Just as curiosity can be successfully fostered in any child, says Engel, it can also be squelched, often by the very well-meaning adults tasked with educating them. In fact, she points out, research shows that "kids whose intrinsic curiosity is comparatively low are the ones most sensitive to social cues that inhibit or encourage exploration."

While no parent or teacher would purposely set out to thwart a child's natural inquisitiveness, they often do so unwittingly. Curious to find out how grown-ups discourage curiosity (and conversely, how they can foster it)? Here are nine sure-fire curiosity killers and how you can avoid them.

1. Freaking out over messes

OMG! What happened to your kitchen? It's been transformed into an 8-year-old's version of a scene from Breaking Bad. There's unidentifiable white powder all over the counters and floors, bright blue and orange fingerprints on the cabinet counters, and jars and vials overflowing with weird goo. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: this crime scene is none other than curiosity channeled into the best form of creativity. For parents who are new to slime-making, the white substance is probably corn starch, and it's really, really hard to clean up! The Day-Glo fingerprints are from food coloring, also a bear to remove. What's a harried parent to do? "Let them make messes!" advises Engel. The slime-makers of today might be the scientists, engineers, inventors, and artists of the future.

2. Choosing a school for orderliness and calm

One would think that a neat and tidy classroom (or bedroom) is preferable to the one that invites measured chaos. Think again. "What attracts people's interest, including children, is something more complex and unpredictable," says Engel. In studying what inspires creativity in classrooms, Engel found that children were most interested "in the rooms that had wild and complex things that didn't act in predictable ways," be it out-there art on the walls, terrariums housing all manner of creatures, and spaces throughout the school that invite experimentation. Engel advises seeking out schools that have lots of "ambiguous" materials at hand, including books, images, objects, and tools that spark inquiry. Another reason to look for what Engel calls the "curious classroom"? In a 1984 study, developmental psychologists Barbara Tizard and Martin Hughes found that while kindergarten-age children asked 27 questions per hour at home, that number plummeted to only about three when they were at school. Some of this drop-off is unavoidable because kids at school don't have the opportunity to ask questions endlessly as they might at home, but it's not inevitable if the school environment tolerates a curious child.

3. Stamping out gossip

Gossip, it turns out, is a natural expression of curiosity in both kids and adults (which is why you go straight for US magazine at the hairdresser). "People get kind of highfalutin about gossip," says Engel. But if it's done without malice, discussing complex social relationships can be a healthy and natural way to satisfy one's curiosity about what other kids are doing. Especially in a school setting, where so much of the day is prescribed, kids relish talking to each other in ways that are unscripted and unexpected.

4. Overscheduling kids' time

It's the curse of the modern parent - we want to schedule every nanosecond of our child's day to make sure every moment counts. But guess what: strategic neglect is a better approach for fostering curiosity.

"Let them be bored," says Engel, who notes that unstructured time can, after the initial whining, lead to the most fruitful exploration, whether a box gets turned into a car or there's a rainy-day discovery that painting is your child's great passion.

5. Choosing what your child should learn

You've schlepped your 10-year-old and his best friend to the local science museum to see the special exhibit on the Big Bang. The exhibit, which will only be there a month, is an outstanding learning opportunity! But all they want to do is climb the trees in front of the museum. These are valuable teachable moments - for parents.

"You can't legislate curiosity," says Engel. The secret to encouraging curiosity, she says, is to avoid holding on so tightly to what you think your child should learn that you don't allow them the latitude to explore where their inquisitiveness leads them. So if you don't make it inside the museum this time, don't fret. Your child is getting an education out on that branch even if he isn't learning anything about the Big Bang today.

6. Celebrating achievement

Perfection, it is said, is the enemy of innovation. Of course, it's terrific if your middle schooler wins her fifth consecutive soccer game or your teen gets into a top college. And there's nothing wrong with being happy about that. But take care that you're not hyperfocused on the award, grade, or accomplishment, advises Engel. Carol Dweck, author of , explores how praising the process (the hard work it took to get there) rather than the person (as in, "You're the best soccer player!") makes kids more likely to seek out challenges and take intellectual risks.

"The goal of success is often in opposition to inquiry," says Engel. "I think many parents who care about curiosity find themselves conflicted when they have to make a choice between encouraging their child's curiosity and wanting their child to 'do well.' Most of us want our children to get the right answer and the good grade. A good grade is nice, but really wanting to learn something, and being so interested that you can't let it go, is a much more powerful and enduring experience."

7. Having all the answers

For Einstein's sake, answer the question already so you can get some peace! Not so fast. When your child asks you a question, says Engel, the best thing you can say in response is, "How can we find out?" It's also fine to admit you don't know the answer. In fact, what's far more important than having the answers is to engender an environment in which question-asking is the norm. In a 2015 article in Education Leadership, Harvard child psychologist and author Paul Harris writes that information-seeking through questions can be thwarted or encouraged, depending on how parents engage with their kids.

Even more interesting, writes Harris, "Mothers who asked a lot of questions had children who also asked a lot of questions. By implication, children may be influenced by messages they receive about how to have a conversation. If their mother uses language to gather information, they are more likely to do the same." So, if you are curious about why ladybugs are called ladybugs or why colds always feel worse late in the afternoon or why Pluto isn't a planet anymore, go ahead and ask! Out loud! "Role models have a big impact on kids," says Engel. "When kids are around curious adults, they are more interested in things around them."

8. Putting safety first

A big reason parents may unwittingly discourage curiosity is because it can be dangerous. The hard truth is that curiosity and the need to resolve uncertainty and the unexpected is not without risk. Your bold and inquiring tween might decide to see what happens if she zaps a magnet in the microwave or how speedily she can navigate her skateboard down your steep street. Physical danger aside, curiosity can also lead to discomfort and embarrassment, says Engel, like "when a child asks their parents to explain that strange sound they heard from their bedroom last night."

The curious child, the one thirsty to seek out the new, even at some risk, can have an intellectual advantage. In a 2002 study of 1,795 3-year-olds, those who showed high stimulation-seeking scored an average of 12 points higher on IQ tests by the time they were 11. It's a parental balancing act, to be sure, to keep children out of trouble while giving them room to grow intellectually. "Parents have to balance their tolerance for potential harm with their interest in giving their children room to explore," advises Engel. "Children are better than we think at taking care of themselves. And [kids] need to learn how by doing it."

9. Putting "encourage curiosity" on your parenting to-do list

As a parent you don't necessarily have to do anything. Supporting curiosity as a parent is more about letting it happen. Celebrate it and share it with your child, suggests Engel, but don't add it to the list of ways you can improve your child's prospects. Since curious adults and kids both tend to be happier than those who aren't, notes Engel, "parents who begin to pursue their curiosity a little more self-consciously and become just a little more attuned to their children's questions and urges to explore will probably be doing more than enough to promote their children's curiosity."

This article is part of a series on how the science of character development can help parents promote honesty, diligence, gratitude, generosity, forgiveness, and curiosity in their children.

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You want your child to be curious, right? Of course you do! After all, curiosity is the drive to gather new information and experiences and it's at the very heart of learning. Studies show that kids who exhibit a higher level of curiosity are at an advantage at school and beyond, benefitting socially, emotionally, psychologically, and intellectually.

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"Relationship building is natural in what we do – the bonds with teachers, students and parents are keys to success."

-Stacie Curtis, Director of Early Education with the Burlington School District

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Creating an Ideal Social-Emotional Environment in Early Learning

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Creating an Ideal Social-Emotional Environment in Early Learning

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According to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, "s ocial development refers to a child's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children, whereas, emotional development refers to a child's ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others' emotions." Not only is the social-emotional environment important for a child's health and well-being, but it also provides a solid foundation for lifelong learning and interactions with others. [94]

A Closer Look at the Social Environment

The social environment is comprised of all the interactions that occur throughout the day. A well-designed social environment fosters trusting relationships by creating opportunities for children to interact with their peers and with their teachers. Effective teacher-child interactions are one of the most crucial ingredients for both social and whole child development. Experts in the field of early childhood education have long understood that effective teacher-child interactions are key predictors of student success.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Warm Interpersonal Interaction [95]

To create a classroom environment that supports positive social interactions Gordon and Browne (2016) suggest that teachers evaluate the quality of their interpersonal interactions. Take a moment to review the self-check questions.

Self-Check: Questions to ask yourself about your social-emotional environments

Is there a feeling of mutual respect between the adults and children?

Are the children interacting with one another?

Am I modeling cooperative behavior?

Am I planning activities that encourage peer interactions?

What are my facial expressions, and what tone do I use when I talk to the children?

Do I give genuine feedback and praise for their achievements?

Am I spending quality time with all the children?

When I'm feeling frustrated, do I take it out on the children?

Do I allow the children to solve their own problems, or do I try to fix everything myself?

When I need to talk to a child, do I get down to their level?

Do I greet families with a smile and do I make an effort to connect with each family?

At the end of the day when the child is being picked up, do I share a pleasant anecdote about the child's day or do I focus only on challenging moments?

Do I provide opportunities for the children to help with daily tasks?

Do I have opportunities for families to volunteer and be involved? [96]

The Emotional Environment

Young children are just learning how to regulate their emotions and behaviors and they need your guidance and support. Exactly what kind of support can you give a child? Co-regulation is defined as warm and responsive interactions that provide children with the support, coaching, and modeling that they need to express their feelings, wants, needs, actions, and behaviors. Co-regulation is an interactive process where teachers must know when to step in and when to step back. Teachers must pay close attention to each child's cues so that they can respond in a consistent and sensitive manner. [97]

To develop caring and responsive relationships with the children in your classroom, it is helpful to learn about each child's unique temperament and communication styles, their likes and dislikes, their strengths, and the areas where they need further support. Only through on-going observation and documentation will you truly discover what makes each child so special.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Teacher displaying a warm interpersonal tone [98]

Once you know each child's unique cues and personalities you will be able to address their individual needs and meet them where they are at developmentally. Additionally, you will be able to plan learning experiences that will help children develop their "self-regulation skills." Self-regulation is having the ability to control your behavior, actions, and emotions in response to a particular situation. In other words, it's having the power to calm yourself down when you get upset because things didn't quite go your way. When children can share their toys with their friends, wait their turn to ride the bike, and can use their words to express their feelings, they are practicing self-regulation.

Take a moment to review the self-check questions and think about ways you can support a child's emotional development.

Self-Check: Questions to ask yourself

Are there cozy spaces for children to take a break?

Are their puppets, dolls, and other activities that encourage children to express feelings?

Do we sing songs and read book about feelings?

Do I provide verbal prompts that help children express their wants and needs?

Am I aware of each child's temperament?

Am I aware of my own feelings and reactions when I am stressed?

Have I taught children effective strategies to help calm them down when upset?

Creating Your Social-Emotional Environment

Research suggests that for children to thrive, they must first have their "basic needs" met. These "basic needs" are highlighted in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in Chapter 2 (Developmental and Learning Theories). Once a child feels safe, secure, loved, and that they belong, they will be ready to learn. As an intentional teacher, it is up to you to create a social and emotional climate where children are comfortable enough to develop meaningful relationships and safe enough to explore their environment. In the article, Creating an Emotional Safe Classroom, Dr. Bruce Perry states, "Optimal learning is driven by curiosity which leads to exploration, discovery, practice, and mastery. In turn, mastery leads to pleasure, satisfaction, and confidence to once again explore. The more a child experiences this cycle of wonder, the more they can create a lifelong excitement and love of learning." [99]

A well-planned learning environment starts with you. When you create a positive social and emotional environment, children will feel secure. Once they feel secure and can trust that you will meet their needs, they will begin to explore the materials and interact with one another, and ultimately they will enjoy the environment you have prepared for them. Your classroom environment plays a critical role in helping children develop their social and emotional skills. Designing a welcoming classroom that promotes cooperation, mutual respect and tolerance will help children connect with you and with each other. To integrate responsive caregiving practices here are some teacher tips to help you set up an engaging social-emotional environment:

Be responsive to children's needs. To help children feel more confident and secure, first meet their basic needs. Provide each child with warm, caring interactions that can be later modeled.

Provide Prompts. Partner with children to manage their feelings and frustrations. Give them the words to express their feelings and to solve their own problems.

Use your positive personality as a teaching tool. Your smile, your voice, and your touch, along with direct eye contact can make children and their families feel safe and cared for.

Be predictable. Establish clear expectations and follow through. Children need consistent boundaries and need to know they can count on you for guidance.

Find time for quiet moments. Solitude allows the brain to "catch up" and process the new experiences of the day. This leads to better consolidation of new experiences and better teaming.

Praise when possible. Confidence and pleasure come from success. Everyone succeeds at something. Those with challenging behaviors need to know they can be successful too. Be observant. As you watch and listen you will gather useful information about each child. Watch to see what the children are curious about: What types of activities interest them? How are they feeling? What are their pressure points? When you follow their cues and respond to their needs, you can then plan for meaningful learning opportunities.

Celebrate diversity and help all children feel included. Encourage children to communicate and express themselves. At times, they may feel more comfortable using their home language, body movements, gestures, signs, or drawing a picture. Plan activities that provide opportunities for children to work together as partners or in small groups. Assign a buddy to assist children that are new to the program or that may be struggling to stay engaged and on task. Encourage families to share.

Include both teacher-initiated and child-initiated activities. Teacher-initiated activities are planned and led by the teacher, while child-initiated activities are inspired by the children's own interests and abilities. Materials are set out and children are encouraged to explore and create using their own ideas. [100] , [101]

Pause to Reflect

How would you promote social-emotional well-being for each age group?

1. Infant

2. Toddler

3. Preschool

4. School-age

The skilled and intentional teacher creates a classroom climate that promotes cooperation, mutual respect, and tolerance. The Teaching Pyramid Framework for Supporting Social Competence provides a model for promoting social competence and preventing challenging behaviors. [102]

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): The Teaching Pyramid [103]

Pause to Reflect

How does "Spiritual Development" or the concept of "me-ness" and "you-ness" for children fit into the Social-Emotional environment?

Assessing Teacher Interactions

In ECE 103 (Observation and Assessment) you will look more closely at The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), developed at the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning as an assessment tool to improve teacher-student interactions and, ultimately, enhance student development and learning. It is used in many early childhood programs to support teacher's growth. The CLASS tool describes three broad categories focusing on the way teachers are providing emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support to meet the needs of the children they work with. The tool looks at the following:

Pause to Reflect

You are an important part of the social-emotional environment and you need to take time for you. Every job has stress factors and being an early childhood teacher is no different. To have the positive energy you will need to manage a classroom, you should find healthy outlets to help manage your own needs and emotions.

What do you do to manage stress and maintain your emotional well-being?

Experiment and discover what works for you. Ideally, you will be able to model these techniques to the children. By providing children with a calm, peaceful, and nurturing atmosphere they will feel safe and secure in their social-emotional environment. And, you will have peace of mind.

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7.7: Let's Take a look at the Social-Emotional Environment

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According to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, "s ocial development refers to a child's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children, whereas, emotional development refers to a child's ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others' emotions."

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In FREE, young people ask what it means to be yourself. Exploring gender stereotypes, LGBT families, and what it’s like to feel different to everybody else, this film will get your pupils talking. Use our resource pack with lesson plans and workshop activities to help you dive in and keep the conversations going.

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https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/free_activity_pack-2021.pdf

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-Focusing the first 1-2 months of the school year on building a cohesive classroom community.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W2s5HODnuT9qJZsID7AqEU-1KVdmprgr/view

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- Talk about feelings as part of the curriculum, restorative circles, and restorative conversations.
- Daily identification of how we feel, using a chart such as Kimochis.

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"The self-regulation during Restorative Practice circles may include deep breathing, taking a quiet pause, and listening to others ... They ensure that all students can express opinions and feelings is so important for building self-advocacy and confidence in our students."

-Building Bright Futures

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- It's more about developing a routine around stopping and breathing, than anything.
- The circles with small kiddos will be loud and wiggly - that's okay!
- If you are able to, having more adults in the circle to model sitting still and quiet is ideal.

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- For younger students (i.e. TK), start with one 5-minute circle a day. This helps keep them positive and successful. Build up to 2 or even 3 circles a day!
- Build your way up to longer meetings of 10-15 minutes, throughout the year.

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Internal (Emotional) Weather Report - Check-in

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Internal (Emotional) Weather Report - Check-in

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- Having lots of visuals will help your students of all backgrounds to better understand & focus
- Some students may need to practice circles 1:1, beforehand.

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- I take of myself. I take care of my friends. I take care of my things.
- I am confident and brave.
- I am important and special.
- I can listen to others even if I don't agree.
- Mistakes help me learn and grow.

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- Growing together: We are learning and growing together.
- Self-esteem:
- Conflict:
- Coping-skills:
- Stress:
- We all make mistakes: Even though we make mistakes, we are all good people. Teacher can model making mistakes.
- Mindfulness & breathing: infinity breathing, rainbow breaths, option to lay down and close eyes, light music playing
- Being a friend: Being honest, kind, and respectful
- Gentle and respectful touch:

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We use restorative communication to acknowledge staff and children’s feelings

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We use restorative communication to acknowledge staff and children’s feelings

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For example, when a student’s tower is knocked over, we acknowledge that the student is frustrated or disappointed and that it’s ok to feel that way.

We can then remind them that we’re all still learning and see if the student who knocked it down can find a way to help repair/rebuild the tower

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-Students feel more like a part of the classroom community
-Decrease in challenging behaviors
-Students learn skills and get into a routine
-More positive and stronger relationships between staff
-More productive conversations around hard topics
-More understanding and celebration of differences in families and amongst students

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mbPh46c40ESNYfqjeN83JiCTXPWaH9qu/view

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Safe Space Rules from Kathleen Bennett.pdf

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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4-Step-Apology-Poster-4540922?st=486286e12918cef0351b036452c318df

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Are you tired of students mumbling "I'm sorry" and expecting all of their problems to magically disappear? The 4-step apology is a great way to teach your students how to take responsibility for their mistakes and make things right with people they've wronged.

I use the 4-step apology in restorative compliment/apology circles with my third graders, and it has really helped my students learn the language they need to communicate in tough situations like when feelings are hurt. With a little practice, these genuine apologies become second nature!

This FREE download includes black and white and color versions of the poster.

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Are you tired of students mumbling "I'm sorry" and expecting all of their problems to magically disappear? The 4-step apology is a great way to teach your students how to take responsibility for their mistakes and make things right with people they've wronged.I use the 4-step apology in restorative ...