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As excited as I am to have my own room- here is what I will miss about being a sub
1. Seeing all the students
2. Getting a fresh start each day
3. Being in all the different buildings
4. Did I say the kids? Because I'm really going to miss them all!

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Interesting read! This could be shift in mindset for some! CRT isn't all about incorporating students culture into the learning. It's about the students as learners and people.

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Early last fall, I had the opportunity to sit with a team of sixth grade teachers at a middle school serving a large number of low-income Latino and African American students. Many of those students were at least two grade levels behind in reading. Their low literacy levels were wreaking havoc on their ability to learn content, engage in higher-level thinking, and build background knowledge.

A year earlier, in their PLC, this team decided that the solution was to use culturally responsive teaching (CRT) as a way to improve student learning and increase achievement.

When I visited with them, they were a bit perplexed why things hadn't changed, because they'd instituted fun "call and response" chants at the beginning of class and created multicultural bulletin boards about music from different cultures and social justice topics. They'd spent time having "courageous conversations" about implicit bias. They'd tried this for a year, but reading scores didn't improve and they couldn't understand why.

We spent the afternoon unpacking their theory of action and it became clear very quickly that how they were defining culturally responsive teaching was off, and had taken them in a direction that wouldn't lead to their desired outcome.

Culturally responsive teaching is all the rage in education these days and just like this team, everyone is looking to it to quickly close achievement gaps. Unfortunately, we're still operating from misconceptions about CRT. Too often, it's presented as a "bucket of engagement strategies," because we think it's all about raising student self-esteem. Others will say it's all about relationships.

In reality, the purpose of culturally responsive pedagogy is to help traditionally marginalized and under-served students become empowered, independent learners. But we confuse cultural responsiveness with simple multiculturalism to "honor diversity," rather than associate it with building students' thinking skills. If educators continue to confuse the purpose and process of culturally responsive pedagogy, then we'll never realize its full potential to create more equitable outcomes.

In reality, CRT is a multi-pronged approach that consists of teacher mindsets and moves that help students build their capacity to grow and flex their brain power over time. The question I get most often is: If it is multi-pronged, then where do I start?

Most people try to start with the "culture" part -- that's what leads to the default focus on multiculturalism. I say start with becoming more responsive -- building rapport, getting to know students as people. While you will want to bring in elements of culture (and we define that so that it's observable and actionable), first humanize your interactions with diverse students who are struggling or feel like school is a hostile place.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain

In Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, I share the social neuroscience that emphasizes the need to get the learner's brain calm and ready for learning. And that begins with re-building trust between teacher and student, rather than assuming the student isn't motivated and needs a "pep talk."

While you're building your understanding of the other components of culturally responsive teaching, start with establishing an authentic, human connection with your students built on personal warmth - one of the hallmarks of a warm demander. Learn more about the social neuroscience behind relationship building.

Tch Teamsfest

During our pre-conference seminar at Tch Teamsfest, we'll have a chance to build our understanding of how this element - humanizing our relationships - lays the foundation for improving students' information processing skills and builds their academic mindset. We'll unpack the cultural connection as well, so check out our podcast to get a teaser.

As you're learning to be a culturally responsive practitioner, begin with becoming more responsive to build trust. You'll need every ounce of it to take the learner into his zone of proximal development.
Zaretta Hammond is a teacher educator and the author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. She has a passion for books and teaching reading. She blogs at www.ready4rigor.com.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: It Begins with Responsiveness

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Early last fall, I had the opportunity to sit with a team of sixth grade teachers at a middle school serving a large number of low-income Latino and African American students. Many of those students were at least two grade levels behind in reading.

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I have a lot of appreciation for mindful classrooms! One thing I have noticed is a big game changer is lower lighting and calming music. I seriously can't teach without quiet music in the background. I feel like it helps everyone feel more calm and it creates a very "cozy" learning environment. I love the idea of incorporating mindfulness in morning meetings- what a great way to start the day!

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Anne Mechler teaches a lesson on being present to help her students focus during the busy month of May. She begins class with a discussion on the meaning of being present. Then, she reads aloud a book on the topic and asks students to share out what they learned from it.

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Did a lesson on acrostic poems and had these on my desk 20 minutes later. This is why!

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Loved every second of this video. I recently found out I will be teaching 5th grade and I feel equally as excited as nervous! This video gave me some really great ideas for my classroom. I love her idea of "SWBAT" and involving the students in that.

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Thought starters

1. What types of academic skills are addressed in the morning meeting?

2. How does Ms. Noonan utilize personal characteristics to contribute to the class culture?

3. What is the class's daily routine for learning the word of the day?

School Details

Think College Now School
2825 International Boulevard
Oakland CA 94601

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts Math Social Studies / 5 / Teacher

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Watch how one teacher builds an effective classroom culture with a fifth grade class. Vocabulary skills, ELA skills, morning meetings and more allow kids to get more involved in a meaningful way. Learn how to use some of these tips to improve your class culture.

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I had the opportunity to follow the STEAM expert of the school district. It was such a valuable experience and I feel so empowered for my own classroom next year. We looked at some new reources the district was going to get and tried to see how they would fit into the curriculum and meet the standards. After that we went over to the middle school to observe their STEAM project. The students made arcade games out of cardboard! We got to interview students, play games, and talk about how this project integrated almost every subject in school. It was an awesome experience and was great to see the pride in the students. I learned so much in these few hours and can't wait to incorporate STEAM into my classroom next year!

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I really love videos of watching other teachers doing number talks! I love how she is putting the students in charge and accepting all strategies as acceptable ways to get the answer to the problem. All of our brains work a bit differently and it's important to celebrate that in our learning!

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Math.4.NBT.B.5

Common core State Standards

Math: Math

4: Grade 4

NBT: Number & Operations in Base Ten

B: Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic

5:
Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

Grade 4 expectations in this domain are limited to whole numbers less than or equal to 1,000,000.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

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Number Talks encourage students to think flexibly about the operations and their properties as they solve problems mentally.

Discussion and Supporting Materials

School Details

Shields (Richard A.) Elementary School
910 Shields Avenue
Lewes DE 19958

Data Provided By:

Teachers

Math / Kindergarten 1 2 3 4 5 / Teacher

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Multiplication Number Talk: Fourth and Fifth Grade

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Instructional coach Kristin Gray engages a group of fourth and fifth grade students in a multiplication number talk. She places one problem on the board and records the strategies students have for finding the product. She uses talk moves to encourage student discourse.

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Great article on creating a growth mindset in your classroom! It comes down to modeling, demonstrating, and creating learning opportunities where students need to activate a growth mindset.

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We can all agree that meaningful schoolwork promotes students' learning of academic content. But why stop there? I believe that meaningful work can also teach students to love challenges, to enjoy effort, to be resilient, and to value their own improvement. In other words, we can design and present learning tasks in a way that helps students develop a growth mindset, which leads to not just short-term achievement but also long-term success.

During the past several decades, my colleagues and I have conducted research identifying two distinct ways in which individuals view intelligence and learning. Individuals with a fixed mindsetbelieve that their intelligence is simply an inborn trait-they have a certain amount, and that's that. In contrast, individuals with a growth mindset believe that they can develop their intelligence over time (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 1999, 2007).

These two mindsets lead to different school behaviors. For one thing, when students view intelligence as fixed, they tend to value looking smart above all else. They may sacrifice important opportunities to learn-even those that are important to their future academic success-if those opportunities require them to risk performing poorly or admitting deficiencies. Students with a growth mindset, on the other hand, view challenging work as an opportunity to learn and grow. I have seen students with a growth mindset meet difficult problems, ones they could not solve yet, with great relish. Instead of thinking they were failing (as the students with a fixed mindset did), they said things like "I love a challenge," "Mistakes are our friends," and "I was hoping this would be informative!"

Students with a fixed mindset do not like effort. They believe that if you have ability, everything should come naturally. They tell us that when they have to work hard, they feel dumb. Students with a growth mindset, in contrast, value effort; they realize that even geniuses have to work hard to develop their abilities and make their contributions.

Finally, students with a fixed mindset tend not to handle setbacks well. Because they believe that setbacks call their intelligence into question, they become discouraged or defensive when they don't succeed right away. They may quickly withdraw their effort, blame others, lie about their scores, or consider cheating. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to respond to initial obstacles by remaining involved, trying new strategies, and using all the resources at their disposal for learning.

Teachers who strive to design challenging, meaningful learning tasks may find that their students respond differently depending on the students' assumptions about intelligence. Students with a growth mindset may tackle such work with excitement, whereas students with a fixed mindset may feel threatened by learning tasks that require them to stretch or take risks.

To prepare students to benefit from meaningful work, therefore, teachers need to create a growth-mindset culture in the classroom. One way to create such a culture is by providing the right kinds of praise and encouragement. My research has shown that praising students for the process they have engaged in-the effort they applied, the strategies they used, the choices they made, the persistence they displayed, and so on-yields more long-term benefits than telling them they are "smart" when they succeed.

Teachers should also emphasize that fast learning is not always the deepest and best learning and that students who take longer sometimes understand things at a deeper level. Students can learn about many historical figures who were not regarded as "fast" learners in childhood. Albert Einstein swore that he was slow to learn and that's why he pondered the same questions year after year-with, as we know, excellent results.

Some teachers teach their students about the different mindsets directly. (To learn about a growth mindset curriculum that my colleagues and I have created, go to www.brainology.us.) Teachers may illustrate the concept of the growth mindset by having their students write about, and share with one another, something they used to be poor at and are now very good at.

In one class, for example, the students were astounded to learn that the school's baseball star used to be inept at baseball and only became proficient after much practice. Such discussions encourage students not to be ashamed to struggle with something before they are good at it.

Teachers can also ask their students to choose an area in which they would like to improve and then to establish a personal goal that would be a big reach for them. For example, a student who is typically afraid of criticism might decide to seek critical feedback on her next art project; an algebra student struggling to understand absolute values might commit to watching a YouTube video on how to solve linear absolute value equations, and then teach the process to his classmates; a student who lacks physical confidence might join a sports team; or a shy student might approach other students she would like to befriend. Students can share their plans and even help one another enhance their skills and reach their goal.

Another strategy is to have students write a letter to a struggling student explaining the growth mindset, telling the struggler not to label himself or herself, and giving the student advice on improvement strategies to try.

Through such exercises, teachers are transmitting crucial information-telling students that they view them all as having intelligence that they can choose to develop. The teachers are also communicating that their role is not to judge who is smart and who is not, but to collaborate with students to make everyone smarter.

Within a classroom culture that supports a growth mindset, teachers can design meaningful learning tasks and present them in a way that fosters students' resilience and long-term achievement.

Meaningful learning tasks need to challenge every student in some way. It is crucial that no student be able to coast to success time after time; this experience can create the fixed-mindset belief that you are smart only if you can succeed without effort.

To prevent this, teachers can identify students who have easily mastered the material and design in-class assignments that include some problems or exercises that require these students to stretch. This way, the teacher will be close at hand to guide students if necessary and get them used to (and ultimately excited about) the challenging work. Some teachers have told me that after a while, students begin to select or create challenging tasks for themselves.

When presenting learning tasks to students, the teacher should portray challenges as fun and exciting, while portraying easy tasks as boring and less useful for the brain. When students initially struggle or make mistakes, the teacher should view this as an opportunity to teach students how to try different strategies if the first ones don't work-how to step back and think about what to try next, like a detective solving a mystery.

Suppose that a student has attempted a math problem but is now stuck. The teacher can say, "OK, let's solve this mystery!" and ask the student to show the strategies he or she has tried so far. As the student explains a strategy, the teacher can say, "That's an interesting strategy. Let's think about why it didn't work and whether it gives us some clues for a new path. What should we try next?"

When, perhaps with the teacher's guidance, the student finds a fruitful strategy, the teacher can say "Great! You tried different ways, you followed the clues, and you found a strategy that worked. You're just like Sherlock Holmes, the great detective. Are you ready to try another one?" In this way, the teacher can simultaneously gain insight into what the student does and does not understand and teach the student to struggle through knotty problems.

Meaningful learning tasks give students a clear sense of progress leading to mastery. This means that students can see themselves doing tasks they couldn't do before and understanding concepts they couldn't understand before. Work that gives students a sense of improvement as a result of effort gives teachers an opportunity to praise students for their process. That is, teachers can point out that the students' efforts were what led to the progress and improvement over time.

Some teachers make students' progress explicit by giving pre-tests at the beginning of a unit that purposely cover material students do not know. When students compare their inevitably poor performance on these pre-tests with their improved performance on unit post-tests, they get used to the idea that, with application, they can become smarter.

Homework is an especially important component of an instructional program that enhances students' sense of learning and progress. Homework assignments should not feel like mindless, repetitive exercises; rather, they should present novel problems for students to solve, require them to apply what they've learned in new ways, or ask them to stretch to the next level.

For example, suppose that students are learning about the rise and fall of civilizations. Their homework assignment might be to apply their learning by designing a civilization that would either thrive (by building in positive factors) or implode (by building in risk factors). They can write the story of their civilization and what happened to it. Or suppose students were studying Shakespeare's sonnets. For homework, they could write a sonnet to the person or animal of their choice in the style of Shakespeare.

The way teachers evaluate their students' work can also help students develop a growth mindset. At one high school in Chicago, when students don't master a particular unit of study, they don't receive a failing grade-instead, they get a grade of Not Yet. Students are not ashamed of that grade because they know that they're expected to master the material, if not the first time, then the next time, or the next.

The word "yet" is valuable and should be used frequently in every classroom. Whenever students say they can't do something or are not good at something, the teacher should add, "yet." Whenever students say they don't like a certain subject, the teacher should say, "yet." This simple habit conveys the idea that ability and motivation are fluid.

Some teachers my colleagues and I work with tell us that they've shifted their grading system to consider more growth-mindset criteria, so that no student can coast to an A and students who struggle and improve get credit for their effort. One school bases one-fourth of each student's grade on growth-mindset factors, thus rewarding students who challenge themselves, are resilient in the face of difficulty, and show clear improvement over time. Other schools give a separate grade for challenge-seeking, effort, and resilience. Of course, for that grade to be effective (and not just a consolation prize), teachers need to have reinforced the value of these qualities daily throughout the school year.

What if a student puts in great effort but does not improve? The teacher needs to factor in the effort but then work with the student to figure out what the impasse was and how the student can break through that impasse.

Meaningful work not only promotes learning in the immediate situation, but also promotes a love of learning and resilience in the face of obstacles. This kind of meaningful work takes place in classrooms in which teachers praise the learning process rather than the students' ability, convey the joy of tackling challenging learning tasks, and highlight progress and effort. Students who are nurtured in such classrooms will have the values and tools that breed lifelong success.

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We can all agree that meaningful schoolwork promotes students' learning of academic content. But why stop there? I believe that meaningful work can also teach students to love challenges, to enjoy effort, to be resilient, and to value their own improvement. In other words, we can design and present

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Really loved this article written by Susan E. Craig. She talks about trauma in the classroom and how teachers can help their students. She talks about teachers showing they know how to regulate big emotions and being brave in tough situations.

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September 2016 | Volume 74 | Number 1
Relationships First Pages 28-32

Susan E. Craig

Diane was excited about the holiday celebration she had prepared for her students. She'd spent weeks selecting a special puppet for each of her 2nd graders. Now, as she watched Chris mercilessly cut the plumage off the parrot puppet she thought he'd love, Diane felt herself blush with embarrassment and frustration. But she quickly caught herself. She recognized Chris's behavior as a reenactment of his past traumatic experiences with caregivers. He was in foster care because his mother was hospitalized for depression. In earlier years, Chris's mother was often unable to care for Chris and his brothers. Years of neglect and the eventual separation from his mother and siblings left him angry and distrustful.

Knowing Chris's history gave Diane the objectivity she needed to avoid personalizing his behaviors. Instead of reacting to his behavior, she directed her attention to the other children and got them started on a new activity. Chris soon stopped cutting and put his head in his hands. Diane sat beside him and quietly asked if he'd like to sit in the rocking chair until he was feeling better. He nodded, and she walked him to the chair. She placed her hand on his shoulder, smiled, and told him that when he was ready, she'd help him fix the puppet. When Chris nodded and started rocking, Diane knew that she'd made the right decision in offering him support. Her compassionate response helped Chris return to a safer, more neutral psychological space, while at the same time reinforcing her relationship with him.

Diane is among a growing number of educators who are trained to view children's difficult behaviors through a trauma-sensitive lens. She is prepared for occurrences of trauma-related behaviors and is able to respond in a manner that promotes resilience and recovery.

Early Trauma Histories

The high prevalence of unresolved trauma among the school-age population is a public health epidemic that threatens children's academic and social mastery (Oehlberg, 2012). National databases suggest that 26 percent of children in the United States will witness or experience a traumatic event before the age of 4 (National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, 2012). Data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (Felitti, et al., 1998) suggests that the rate is even higher-one in three children may have an early trauma history. These numbers are shocking, and, it can be argued, go a long way in explaining why so many young people struggle in school.

Some early childhood trauma occurs as a result of accidents, medical procedures, or community violence. The stress of living in chronic poverty is also traumatic for children when the hassle of daily life limits their caregivers' ability to shelter them from adversity (Lieberman & Osofsky, 2009).

The most widespread source of childhood trauma, however, is maltreatment. In 2014, state agencies across the country estimated that there were 702,000 victims of child maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). Parents or primary caregivers are almost always responsible for this type of trauma (van der Kolk, 2005). As a result, these experiences are often unseen or unrecognized by outsiders, including teachers and school administrators.

A child's brain architecture changes as a result of trauma. These changes jeopardize children's ability to direct their attention, regulate their emotions and behavior, and form positive relationships with teachers. However, with the right training and support, teachers can collaborate with these children in ways that help them move beyond past traumas and embrace the benefits of rich educational experiences.

Forming Positive Relationships

Children with early trauma histories have a compulsive need to reenact past traumas. The drive toward reenactment is like a riptide that threatens to bring down both child and teacher. The child is always on the lookout for a parental or authority figure with whom to replay past traumatic experiences-all with the hope that the outcome might be different.

Of course, none of this is conscious, but it is the basis for much of the provocative behavior demonstrated by traumatized children. Unless teachers are trained to recognize these behaviors as bids for reenactment, they can get pulled into the undertow in one of two ways: by responding with anger or by feeling victimized by the child's rage. In either case, the child's behavior will escalate and he or she will feel even more out of control.

Teachers hoping to form positive relationships with students exhibiting these compulsive behaviors require above-average self-monitoring skills. These skills allow teachers to maintain objectivity as they simultaneously monitor their own internal state while observing what's going on in the environment.

This objectivity improves all aspects of teaching but is indispensable when de-escalating children's behavior. It allows teachers to refrain from reacting to overtly hostile or menacing conduct. Instead, these teachers are able to redirect children's behavior in calm, respectful, and sometimes playful ways. In some cases, teachers use strategies that communicate comfort and validate the teacher's relationship with the child. That's what Diane did when she suggested that Chris sit in the rocking chair. Her comforting smile and offer to help fix the puppet were further proof that she was on his side and that their relationship remained intact.

Teachers can also reassure children that the relationship they share is capable of handling strong emotions. By staying calm in a moment of crisis, teachers show children that they are neither frightened nor surprised by strong feelings. Rather, they know what to do to bring those feelings under control. This support increases children's ability to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and eventually to become more adept at controlling them. Within this context, redirection becomes an opportunity to strengthen relationships and build children's inner strengths.

Directing Attention

Children's brains develop in a use-dependent manner that relies to a great extent on their early environments. Interactions with caregivers prime the brain to expect certain experiences. The brain then prepares anticipatory sets of neural pathways ready to respond. Those with early trauma histories become particularly attentive to perceptions of negativity from adults. They expect to be judged and/or rejected by teachers and others playing a parental role. Some children shut down completely; others become hypervigilant. In either case, their guarded attitude limits their ability to participate in classroom activities that require a willingness to engage in novel or risk-taking behaviors. Their attention is on survival rather than on the content of instruction.

Gaining students' attention requires teachers to establish themselves as trusted collaborators. Teachers like Diane find that students are less defensive when classroom routines are predictable and consistent. Established routines help students know what's going on and what is expected of them. Simple visual icons representing major events of the day help them keep track of classroom activities.

Teachers implementing a trauma-sensitive approach try to avoid abrupt changes, but they address the fact that there will be surprises. For instance, Diane finds it helpful to use an icon for "break." She places it in the schedule at times when something outside the usual routine happens, such as a fire drill.

Diane also understands the importance of designing lessons so that they follow the same sequence of steps with a standard format and cues. Diane starts by connecting with students emotionally-she reminds them of the things that are going well and how much she enjoys being with them. She then picks up her magic wand and tells students to listen carefully because something important is coming up, thereby directing children's attention to instructional content as it is presented. The playful manner of using a prop keeps children relaxed and signals Diane's willingness to work with them to master what comes next. As children's trust grows, so do the neural pathways required for sustained attention.

Learning to Control Emotions

Within the safety of a predictable classroom environment, teachers can show students how to use their minds to rein in their emotions. They begin by encouraging students to look inside themselves and notice what's going on. Observing their own internal landscape helps students discover two important aspects of attention: their internal world is full of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts competing for attention; and they can choose what to focus on.

Diane uses the analogy of an awareness wheel to help children understand how attention works (Siegel, 2010). Every morning, her students look at the picture of a wagon wheel hanging in the classroom. Then they close their eyes to visualize their own awareness wheel. They imagine their mind as the wheel's hub. Sensations, thoughts, feelings, and images are spokes that extend from the hub to the wheel rim. None of these can command the attention of the hub without its permission. Diane reminds children that attention always involves choice. At the end of the exercise, she encourages students to pick a goal for the day and to make choices that focus their attention on achieving that goal.

This is a liberating exercise for children with early trauma histories. They are used to focusing on reoccurring memories of the past whenever they arise. These intrusive reminders of past traumas divert their attention away from what's happening in real time. As they learn to observe their internal world, children can choose to attend to the sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts that foster curiosity and enthusiasm rather than those that trigger lethargy and despair.

It also helps children separate who they are from what they feel-an important step for those with early trauma histories. Chris is a good example of how learning to look inward helps children curb their impulsivity. He loved all things on wheels, including bikes, trucks, and motorcycles, so the awareness wheel image resonated with him. On bad days, he'd tell Diane that his kindness spoke was rusty or that he needed help repairing his relaxation spoke. Imagining his behavior as a wheel that he could control and repair gave him the courage to ask for help. Over time and with the help of strategies like these, Chris acquired the skills and self-control he needed to succeed in school.

Regulating Emotions and Behavior

Early childhood trauma affects every aspect of children's stress regulation. A whole host of behaviors-ranging from low energy and lack of motivation to aggression and defiance-can be attributed to traumatized children's inability to find and sustain a comfortable level of arousal.

It's the old "fight, flight, or freeze" problem. Children who "fight" in stressful situations become hyper-aroused under stress. In a classroom environment, they are likely to be defiant, noisy, and capable of prolonged acting out behavior. Children who demonstrate "freeze" or "flee" behaviors downshift and zone out when their stress level becomes intolerable. They appear unmotivated, disinterested, and may even fall asleep.

Diane's training in trauma management enables her to engage children in a type of coregulation, particularly by integrating soothing, sensory-based activities into classroom instruction. Most are familiar to teachers and have been understood as instructional best practices for years-things like movement, deep breathing, music, stretching, and frequent opportunities for self-reflection.

Diane was comfortable with starting each lesson with a few deep breaths, and she always wrapped up an activity with a few minutes to summarize or reflect. But she was concerned that movement activities might be distracting or upset the flow. She decided to start with hand movements and seated stretches. Eventually she invited students to move around the room to find a partner for a "think-pair-share" activity or travel to preassigned tables for group work. As her comfort level increased, Diane found more and more opportunities for movement that helped students stay calm while avoiding the chaos she feared.

Collaborating with children in their efforts to maintain a comfortable level of arousal goes a long way in nurturing positive relationships with them. When teachers frequently use brief check-ins or breath breaks, children know that their teachers are attuned to their needs, even when holding them to high standards of behavior. Talking to children about self-soothing activities they can use to feel better reinforces the idea that teachers are there to support them. Easy access to nonverbal stress-busters, such as stretching or fidget toys, serves as yet another reminder that teachers value their feelings and want them to do well.

Toward Resilience and Rehabilitation

Fostering positive relationships with traumatized children starts with recognizing that early adversity has played a role in their neural development. Behaviors that now threaten these children's academic and social mastery were originally adaptions they made to the uncontrollable stress in their lives. With this knowledge, teachers can approach students whom they previously viewed as oppositional or defiant with a better understanding of what's behind their trauma-related behaviors. This is an important first step in building teachers' capacity to respond in a manner that promotes resilience and rehabilitation.

References

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, S. M., Edwards, V., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of child abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of deaths in adults: The adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 14, 245-258. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8.

Lieberman, A. F., & Osofsky, J. D. (2009). Poverty, trauma, and infant mental health. Zero to Three, 30(2), 54-58.

National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. (2012). Child trauma and its effects on development. Retrieved from http://justice.aksummit.com/PDF/081712_childhood_trauma.pdf

Oehlberg, B. (2012). Ending the shame: Transforming public education so it works for all students. Pittsburgh, PA: Rose Dog Books.

Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation. New York: Bantam Books.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau. (2016). Child maltreatment 2014. Retrieved from www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment

van der Kolk, B. A. (2005). Developmental trauma disorder. Psychiatric Annuals, 35, 401-408. Retrieved from www.wjcia.org/conpast/2008/trauma/trauma.pdf

Susan E. Craig is the author of Trauma-Sensitive Schools: Learning Communities Transforming Children's Lives, K-5 (Teachers College Press, 2016) and Reaching and Teaching Children Who Hurt: Strategies for Your Classroom (Brookes Publishing, 2008). Her blog addresses topics of interest for educators working with traumatized children.

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September 2016 | Volume 74 | Number 1 Relationships First Pages 28-32 Susan E. Craig Diane was excited about the holiday celebration she had prepared for her students. She'd spent weeks selecting a special puppet for each of her 2nd graders.

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I spent the afternoon observing a local Speech Pathologist. She had me hooked from the start with her interactive learning target board. It was clear when students walked in that they felt comfortable and that they had a relationship with this teacher. She had tons of fun games for the students to play that helped them work on their targeted skill. I watched her work with students on different letter sounds, building sentences, and even social norms. We ended the day doing a lesson with a student who was working on her "R" sound. She was so encouraging to the student that one day it'll click and she will do it and that she wouldn't give up until she got it! They tried some techniques with funny sayings, lollipops, and a floss picker! It was so interesting to have a backstage seat in a room where not many teachers go.

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This was a cup filler!

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STEAM education is something I am really passionate about. I have seen the impact it has on engagement and the overall understanding students have of a topic. It doesn't have to be this complicated and huge project. It can be a pile of paper clips and a goal to meet!

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December 2014/January 2015 | Volume 72 | Number 4
STEM for All Pages 84-85

Bryan Goodwin and Heather Hein

On a sunny April morning near Monterey Bay, California, droves of middle and high school students descended on Aptos High School for an underwater robotics competition. Teams of students made last-minute changes to the robots they had designed and built to compete in various "missions" based on real-life challenges confronting the U.S. Coast Guard and other maritime agencies. The students poured themselves into the task, reviewing notes taken from a 400-page, college-level textbook and perfecting their presentations to engineers from a nearby oceanographic institute, who were judging the competition.

The entire scene appeared to disprove the common perception that U.S. students aren't interested in STEM subjects. Unfortunately, statistically speaking, that perception is accurate. Science and engineering degrees account for only about 30 percent of all bachelor's degrees in the United States, compared with more than 50 percent in Japan and China (National Science Board, 2012). To better prepare students to pursue STEM college majors and careers, states and districts across the United States have created schools that focus explicitly on STEM.

No Simple Solutions

To date, however, such STEM academies have produced lackluster results in terms of raising student achievement. Consider three recent studies:

A comparison of STEM and non-STEM schools in Florida and North Carolina found no evidence that students in STEM schools performed any better in mathematics (Hansen, 2014).

Although students in 30 STEM high schools in New York City performed better than those in regular public schools overall, the researchers found that "more thorough analysis conditioning on a rich set of covariates, including previous grade test performance, reduces or eliminates this advantage" (Wiswall, Stiefel, Schwartz, & Boccardo, 2014, p. 1).

An Arizona study tracked students' achievement before and after they transferred into nine STEM charter middle schools and two STEM magnet middle schools. After three years, students demonstrated higher achievement in the STEM charter schools (but no gains in the magnet schools), but researchers cautioned that the gains might simply reflect performance bumps (and selection bias) they observed in all students who transferred to new schools, regardless of the schools' focus (Judson, 2014).

Another question we might ask about STEM schools is whether they increase the likelihood that students will pursue STEM-related college majors or careers. One study of 1,250 students in eight selective STEM schools found that among their students who went on to graduate from college, nearly two-thirds (64.9 percent) received their degrees in STEM fields, far above the national average of 30 percent. However, when the study looked at the trajectories of students who entered selective STEM schools for reasons other than deep interest in STEM, it found that these students were no more apt to pursue STEM careers than students of similar ability who attended regular schools (Subotnik, Tai, & Almarode, 2011). On the basis of this research and other studies, a panel commissioned by the National Research Council (2011) concluded that "there are no systematic data that show whether the highly capable students who attend [STEM] schools would have been just as likely to pursue a STEM major or related career... if they had attended another type of school" (p. 8).

It's What Happens Inside That Matters

A shortcoming of many of these studies is that they do little to describe what may or may not be going on inside STEM schools. To peer into this black box, the previously referenced survey of 1,250 students also looked at which forms of instruction in STEM schools were most strongly tied to students pursuing STEM majors in college. The most significant predictor of students' continued interest in STEM, the study found, was whether students had rich research experiences in high school, such as original scientific investigations or engineering design projects. Such experiences made students, on average, 1.77 times more likely to pursue STEM majors and careers (Subotnik, Tai, & Almarode, 2011).

The National Research Council's 2011 synthesis of research and commissioned papers on STEM schools concluded that to spark student interest in STEM, instruction must help students grapple with big ideas and fundamental questions about the natural world and experience real-world applications of their knowledge. "However," the report observed, "this type of STEM instruction remains the exception in U.S. schools" (p. 19).

According to the study, the most significant obstacle to providing students with the kinds of rich STEM learning experiences that enhance interest in STEM may be our current assessment and accountability schemes. Many statewide tests rely heavily on multiple-choice items that limit the "content and complexity of what [states] test" (National Research Council, 2011, p. 21).

In many cases, schools have responded to accountability pressures by doubling down on rote learning and test prep. For example, a study of 51 STEM academies in Texas, which were ostensibly created to promote project-based learning, found that many of them were employing a traditional pedagogy that included explicit preparation for statewide tests (Young, House, Wang, Singleton, & Klopfenstein, 2011). These schools were operating in a compliance mind-set and employing uninspired approaches to teaching and learning, said the researchers.

Rekindling Student Interest in STEM

The insipid teaching approaches employed by some STEM schools contrast sharply with the energy and excitement of the Monterey underwater robotics competition, which provided exactly the kind of authentic learning that research links to student interest in pursuing STEM careers. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the competition, though, was that it occurred on a Saturday and was not part of any regular school curriculum, which raises the question: Was this kind of learning possible precisely because it occurred outside the regular school day, away from the pressures of content coverage, test preparation, and Carnegie units?

If so, then perhaps we need to step outside these constraints and reconceive STEM learning from a starting point of providing stimulating experiences that spark student interest in these disciplines. That may be a tall order. But if our students are clever enough to figure out how to build robots and navigate them through underwater trials, surely we can figure out how to put the joy of discovery and invention into STEM learning.

References

Hansen, M. (2014). Characteristics of schools successful in STEM: Evidence from two states' longitudinal data. Journal of Educational Research, 107(5), 374-391.

Judson, E. (2014). Effects of transferring to STEM-focused charter and magnet schools on student achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 107(4), 255-266.

National Research Council. (2011). Successful K-12 STEM education: Identifying effective approaches in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Science Board. (2012). Science and engineering indicators 2012. Arlington, VA: Author. Retrieved from www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/c2/c2h.htm

Subotnik, R. F., Tai, R. H., & Almarode, J. (2011, May 10-12). Study of the impact of selective SMT high schools: Reflections on learners gifted and motivated in science and mathematics. Paper prepared for the workshop of the Committee on Highly Successful Schools or Programs for K-12 STEM Education, National Research Council, Washington, DC.

Wiswall, M., Stiefel, L., Schwartz, A. E., & Boccardo, J. (2014, June). Does attending a STEM high school improve student performance? Evidence from New York City. Economics of Education Review, 40, 93-105.

Young, V. M., House, A., Wang, H., Singleton, C., & Klopfenstein, K. (2011). Inclusive STEM schools: Early promise in Texas and unanswered questions. Washington, DC: National Research Council.

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STEM Schools Produce Mixed Results - Educational Leadership

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December 2014/January 2015 | Volume 72 | Number 4 STEM for All Pages 84-85 Bryan Goodwin and Heather Hein On a sunny April morning near Monterey Bay, California, droves of middle and high school students descended on Aptos High School for an underwater robotics competition.

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Loved this article on trauma in the classroom. What really stuck out to me was when the author said "see the worth in each student and build on their strengths". This is so important as teachers because students may need us to help them find their strengths. Each student has a strength and it should be utilized in their learning as much as possible.

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December 2017/January 2018 | Volume 75 | Number 4
Mental Health in Schools Pages 32-36

Kristin Souers

Those of us in caregiving fields have long recognized that trauma is toxic to students' brains and spirits as well as their bodies. Most researchers now view trauma as resulting not only from catastrophic events, but also from ongoing stressors like divorce or mental illness within the family. Research by Felitti and his colleagues in the late 1990s explored how 10 "adverse childhood experiences" (ACEs) affected people's health as adults and found that almost 25 percent of their original sample experienced two or more adverse experiences as children (Felitti et al., 1998).

Looking at Felitti and colleagues' list of adverse events (which includes experiences like a parent going to jail, the death of a loved one, or substance misuse in the home), teachers will likely realize how prevalent traumatic experiences are among today's students. The ACEs study has been replicated over time and has since included looking at the impact of ACEs on children. As education professionals, we can no longer ignore this issue and its impact on student learning.

Recognizing the trauma woven into some students' lives is part of educating for the whole child. Caring educators know that understanding and responding to what's causing distress at home is part of keeping each young person healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged (ASCD's Whole Child tenets).

Yet, as I've discovered in my work consulting with schools on the impact of trauma on student learning, for many teachers, being sensitive to students affected by stress remains a huge challenge. We get mired down in the wreckage of the behavior a child is showing-or the bullet point we're trying to cover in the instruction plan. We quickly lose sight of who we're working with and what we're ultimately trying to achieve.

How can we maintain a thriving learning environment and respond to students who are experiencing ongoing trauma or short-term distress in ways that recognize their emotional needs?

Stepping Back and Standing Together

A mentor of mine always encouraged me to look from the 10,000-foot view. He meant it's easy to get sucked into details that are disconnected from our ultimate goal. We might, for instance, take the behaviors of others personally (especially when we're attempting to help) or get bogged down by the minutia and challenges of the situation. Such tendencies are certainly true when we're responding to students who we know are facing trauma, but who right now are sowing chaos. We need to keep the ultimate goal in mind and make sure everyone involved understands and agrees with that goal.

Take a moment right now to reflect on a difficult situation you're currently experiencing with a student. Step back from the mess and ask yourself, "What am I ultimately trying to achieve with this person or situation? What outcome am I hoping for?" Next, ask yourself, "Is what I'm hoping to achieve realistic? Is this person aware of the goal I have and does he or she want the same outcome?" Ask yourself whether this student understands your goal and trusts that you have their best interests at heart. Connecting to these broader questions might help you find a less oppositional way to talk with this student. It will likely renew your commitment and patience. It will certainly remind you about the bigger picture and encourage you to not get lost in the issue of the moment.

Mutual support is also important. Many of us feel overwhelmed by the expectations put upon us and discouraged in helping students who face dire life situations. We know many of our students and their families would benefit from additional support, yet there aren't enough resources to meet their legitimate needs. We can get caught up in bemoaning this lack of resources and the fact that we don't know what else to "do" with a hurting student. This can lead us to feeling hopeless. It can make us wish there were an island where we could send those students and families we find most difficult to work with.

I'm here to tell you that there is no island, but that educators and others involved with our "tough nuggets" can find ways to come together and collectively address the challenges. We need to support one another in creating and sustaining a positive mindset, a belief that our students can achieve success regardless of what they're experiencing in and out of school. And we need to equip ourselves with the skillset necessary to understand what's happening in front of us when a student's behavior becomes an obstacle to learning and he or she doesn't respond to our usual strategies.

When a student is operating from a state of stress, he or she is unable to access higher functioning aspects of the brain that allow people to think and reason. When students are stressed, they are dysregulated and operating from the survival part of the brain, also known as flight, fight, or freeze. When a student is dysregulated, he or she is not learning-ready, and our jobs as educators are affected.

Six Ways to Reach Your Students

Besides keeping your ultimate goal in mind and getting support, try these approaches to reach students facing or recovering from trauma.

Identify what need a behavior is expressing. We all express our needs in ways that were taught or modeled for us. If the choices a person is making to express their needs are ineffective, it's up to us to partner with them to find alternative ways of communicating what they want. Remember to focus on what a student is really asking for versus how he or she is asking.

I was once asked to observe a student who was struggling with behavior issues. It became evident that any time there was a transition, this student would act out. He would climb on chairs or attempt to engage classmates in "naughty" behavior. The teacher was frustrated and discouraged; she felt like there was nothing she could do to get him to do what was expected.

I wondered if transitions triggered this child's need for predictability and control. When he didn't know what was happening next, he would resort to his own devices in attempts to gain control and predictability-even if that meant receiving a consequence for his misbehavior. The teacher and I brainstormed how she could set up each transition to a new activity in a way that met his need for predictability. She opted to engage him before each transition; she gave him a task to do during each transition time, such as passing out papers or taking a message to the office, so he had both a sense of knowing what to expect and something to keep himself focused. Ultimately, this worked.

We must also pay attention to our own needs in such situations. Identify and seek out what you need to keep going and feel successful when you're struggling, whether it's staff and leadership support, opportunities for breaks, or teammates who will provide a "buddy room" to use for tough nuggets on occasion.

See the worth in each student and build from his or her strengths. When we give ourselves permission to identify a strength, we invite hope. Teachers might try an activity I often use during trainings. Take a moment to think about your current "tough nugget." What do you know about him or her? What are his or her strengths, skills, hobbies, interests, goals, and successes? What does she or he need? Who is this student's champion? If you don't know the answers to these questions, here is your chance to learn. List these things on a notecard and in tough moments where you find yourself moving away from your own regulation, look at the list. Use this list when designing interventions and support plans for your student. It will provide inspiration and opportunities for connection.

Remember, kids can't learn if they don't feel safe. We all need to feel safe and supported in our environment. If we aren't regulated, we aren't learning-and if we don't feel safe, we aren't regulating. We can do a few simple things to help students who've experienced trauma feel safe in their classrooms. One is to greet our students every day (and staff and families when we have a chance) with a personal welcome and a smile. Pete Hall, co-author of our book Fostering Resilient Learners, likes to call it hugs, high fives, and handshakes. The power of connection helps foster a sense of safety.

I consulted in a school where there was no whole-school welcoming or exiting ritual in place. Each staff member started and ended the day as she or he pleased. Most teachers expected their students to enter the classroom quietly each morning, turn in the homework, go to their desks, and get started on their entry tasks. The end of the day was similar. Teachers often hurried most students out the door as they tried to quickly help those kids who were having difficulty with the work.

During a whole-staff meeting, we talked about the idea of welcoming and exiting and what it could look like if everyone greeted and sent students home with a smile, hug, high five, or hand shake. Staff members-who were invested in changing the school culture from a lethargic, negative culture to a positive, safe, and inviting one-agreed to commit to a whole-school welcome and exit each day. They created a morning ritual in which every staff member greeted every student in their classroom with a welcoming smile and gave the student an opportunity to let the adult know how things were going. They created a mantra that every class would chant at the start of every morning and set a daily goal for each class to strive for.

At the day's end, each class engaged in a goodbye ritual that involved a review of the daily goal and a wish for the evening. These predictable, safe, and friendly routines provided students with the support they needed to start the day strong. This enhanced the school's unity and provided the sense of predictability that students need to help them with regulation and learning capability. Within two weeks, there was a drastic change in the school environment. Staff and students were smiling more, and parents were more engaged.

Work from a team perspective. Maintain the attitude that "These are our students, not his, her, or my students." When I work in schools and districts I always use the term team. Education can feel lonely and isolating, feelings that aren't helpful in trying to connect to and teach kids who are troubled. It's so much easier-for staff members and students-to come to work when you have a supportive team waiting for you.

I once consulted with a team of elementary teachers who'd been assigned a class of students that was notorious for being difficult. The team decided their goal for the year was to "make every student awesome!" They came up with a grade-level theme and agreed to go to one another for support whenever necessary. They set up a system for engaging with caregivers positively through communications home; found ways to positively recognize students; and even identified a need in their community and worked to build empathy among students and find ways to support that need. These teachers set up check-ins for their tough nugget students, arranged for older students to mentor some of their kids, and used one another for "buddy room" support whenever a student needed to "reset." Not only did this prevent burnout among these individuals, but it also promoted a sense of teamwork that the building grew from.

Consider whether a basic need isn't being met. Sometimes kids are acting out not because of the effects of trauma, but from a more immediate need. Before you move to intervention, "HALT," and ask yourself whether this child might need something relatively simple and easily provided. People can't learn or focus if they're hungry, anxious, lonely, or t ired. When we slow down and look at the bigger picture, we might discover that a student just needs a snack, a break, or a hug and relational reassurance.

In one school, the principal noticed a spike in office referrals around 10 a.m. She implemented a morning snack program, and those referrals stopped. Kids, especially those who struggle with self-regulation, burn through calories very fast. They often need fuel to remain focused and sustained. And if we give them the opportunity to ask in a safe way, students will tell us what they need.

Give students grace. We all need a little grace. Sometimes the need to be right or to prove that a wrong occurred is less important-and effective-than extending grace. By grace I mean forgiveness, a second chance, or a "free pass," quite possibly unwarranted.

Sometimes adults believe that giving grace means allowing misbehavior and letting a student avoid accountability. But I've seen countless times when a teacher's need to hold a student accountable proved more harmful than forgiveness would have been. We don't always know what our students and their families are experiencing. There are times when plates are full and patience and careful thought are hard to access. By giving grace, we acknowledge that life is messy, that there are situations when it's OK to "let this one go." When you find yourself in a situation that involves a strained relationship or a power struggle with a student over an infraction, ask yourself, would this be a good opportunity for grace? Will giving a "free pass" get me farther in the long run?

Remembering the Big Picture

I truly believe we all want what's best for our students, including the most vulnerable. Yet we can all get lost in the mess of the day. We find ourselves caught up in the turbulent behavior of the moment, or distracted by worries about the dreaded call we must later make to a family. It can be very hard to focus on responding caringly to a hurting student.

When we feel tired and discouraged, it's important to step back from a situation and remember the bigger picture. What got you into education? Why do you stay? What do you truly want for all your students, and how best can you achieve that? Remember, every student deserves to learn, and you're the key to that opportunity. You set the tone for how each day will go. You model for students and families how best to achieve their goals. Your courage and strength matter.

Endnotes

Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258.

Blodgett, C. (2012). How adverse childhood experiences and trauma impact school engagement. Presentation delivered at Becca Conference, Spokane, Washington.

I use Rice and Groves' definition of trauma (from their 2005 publication for the group Zero to Three, Hope and Healing: A Caregiver's Guide to Helping Young Children Affected by Trauma): "an exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous events overwhelm a person's capacity to cope."

Kristin Souers is an expert on the impact of trauma on individuals and families and has provided training and consultation on trauma and its impact to various systems, including the education system, for 25 years. She is coauthor, with Pete Hall, of Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom (ASCD, 2016). Follow her on Twitter.

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Responding with Care to Students Facing Trauma

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December 2017/January 2018 | Volume 75 | Number 4 Mental Health in Schools Pages 32-36 Kristin Souers Those of us in caregiving fields have long recognized that trauma is toxic to students' brains and spirits as well as their bodies.

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I had an awesome day today with a local school Social Worker. I observed her interactions with students and watched her lead a few lessons on social-emotional health. It was amazing to see the impact this person can have on the school and see how comfortable the students feel about her. I had the chance to look through the curriculum she used in her room and was beyond impressed with how simple it really was! She gave students an opportunity be more successful in their interactions with people in a fun and engaging way. Who knew pirates could teach you about social norms??? I feel after this day I have a much better understanding of what a Social Worker does and look forward to using that resource as a teacher.

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Currently loving the book "Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind". I think I need to pick up my own copy! I read the introduction and I was hooked. The author, Eric Jensen, has changed my mindset on "lazy" students. They aren't lazy- they are not being properly motivated! It can be hard to reach all learners, but they all have different interests and each lesson will be taken differently.

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Love this! What a special way to make everyone feel so welcome and that their teacher truly cares.

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Teacher Has Personalized Handshakes With Every Single One of His Students

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Even as a sub I can teach some life lessons!

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Love this! I have so many emotions running through me as I think about my first year teaching. It's so much responsibility and my students deserve the BEST! However, I have to be willing to make mistakes and learn. That's what it's all about!

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It's been two decades since my first year in the classroom. I reflect on that time and wish I'd known a few things about myself, about teaching, and about my students. Some of what I wish I'd known could have been shared with me-some I just had to live and learn.

So I offer this reflection both for new teachers as well as for those who support them. If you work with a new teacher, I'm hoping you might stop by their room in the next few days and share some insights from your own experience. And if you're a new teacher, I'm hoping these reflections might help you feel validated, hopeful, and resourceful.

1. This will get better. The first year of teaching is so, so hard. You don't even know why it's so hard-you can't wrap your head around that because you're in survival mode. It's so hard because you're being asked to push your heart and mind and body in ways you never have. You're making thousands of decisions each day, and there are big parts of you that know you don't know what you're doing. So you question the decisions you're making each day-and questioning is good, it is, but that questioning also makes you feel tired and insecure. It will get better. You're just overloaded. You're learning so much-I know you can't even recognize this because you're so tired, but it'll sink in as the months pass. Nothing will ever be as hard as the first year.

2. Always work from the heart. If your actions and words emerge from the heart, you can't make too many mistakes. Let yourself love your students; don't be afraid of falling in love with them. That's the path to take as a new teacher. Get to know them, indulge your curiosity, spend time learning about who they are as human beings-the rest will follow.

3. They will remember this about you. Your students will remember how you made them feel, whether they felt loved and cared for by you. I know this: I'm in touch with dozens of former students who were among the first groups of kids I taught. They remember my love for them in various ways; they don't remember the lessons that I botched, or that I didn't return their homework within a promised two days, or my disorganization. When I listen to what they remember, I hear that it was my love for them-and I did love them, deeply.

4. Be open to surprises. Students will surprise you-they will learn things you didn't think they could learn, they will grow in ways you didn't expect. You might think that a particular student will struggle later on (he's already been retained in second grade, can't spell his own name, and clearly has a learning disability). Then 10 years later you might find yourself at his high school graduation hearing that he's been accepted to art college, and there'll be tears ruining your makeup and you didn't bring tissues and when he sees you he grins and gives you a huge hug and says, "Ms. Aguilar, I'm so glad you came." You'll still be crying and telling him how proud you are. It will truly be one of the most joyful days of your life. He was also in your classroom that first year, when you thought you'd ruined them all. "You were really nice to me and you encouraged me to draw," he says, and you beam.

5. Find a coach. Find someone who can support your growth, someone who has training to be a coach, someone who will observe you and give you feedback and help you fulfill the vision you have for yourself as a teacher. You won't be able to figure this all out on your own. You can't see what you can't see. You don't know what you need to know. Ask for a coach, beg, search out all possible options-and find someone to help you grow.

6. And if you can't find a coach... Move. Find another school. I'm serious. Find a place where someone will support you in your growth as a teacher. OK, if it can't be a coach, settle for a mentor, perhaps an administrator who will commit to supporting you in a non-evaluative way, or find a partner-teacher who might be a mentor, or a professional learning community of teachers who observe each other. You won't be able to guide your own development by yourself-the weekly (if you're lucky) or annual professional development won't be enough.

As a new teacher, you need a lot of feedback and support. Don't stop searching out support until you get it. If you feel like you're learning and increasingly meeting the needs of your students, you'll feel good. You'll stay. And kids need teachers who stay.

The first year (like a first love) has so many highs and lows, and I still get both dreamy-eyed and panicky when I remember the 1995-96 school year. Capture this year, share stories with people you trust, and then in 20 years, look back and write yourself a "What I Wish I'd Known" letter.

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It's been two decades since my first year in the classroom. I reflect on that time and wish I'd known a few things about myself, about teaching, and about my students. Some of what I wish I'd known could have been shared with me-some I just had to live and learn.

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Top five things I have learned by being a sub
1. Start each day greeting the students and SMILE- it goes a long way!
2. Create an environment where you are open to student suggestions of how to run the day and it will run so much smoother!
3. Always be willing to adapt sub plans to fit the needs of the students. If they need a brain break- GIVE IT TO THEM!
4. Praise students for ALL the good they do throughout the day- you will create such a positive environment!
5. HAVE FUN!Students remember how you made them feel and you want them to be happy to have you in their classroom.

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I think we all know how much kids need to MOVE throughout their day! Kim Campbell has some FANTASTIC brain breaks here that are easy to play and super fun! Check them out!

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I think us teachers in MN are starting to disagree! I miss seeing kids everyday- I lost track of how many snow days. Winter- be kind to teachers! These kids have lots to learn!

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I spent the morning observing at my local Alternative Learning Center. I had a friend who had worked in an ALC in another city and thoroughly enjoyed her experience. I knew it was a "must do" for my professional development this semester. I first met with the principal of the school and it was clear within the first 2 minutes how passionate he is about his job and how strongly he believes in his students. He has a lot of pride for his school, his staff, and all the students who attend. I had the chance to observe in an economics class, math class, and science class. Each class was very focused on choice and will to learn. I could tell some students had the drive in them and some needed the teacher to help pull it out of them. I enjoyed seeing a different school environment and seeing another "community" in the School District. I am so grateful that we have an ALC because it is clear the students enjoy being there and there is a need for some students to have an alternative learning environment.

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Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students!

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The learning curve with being a substitute teacher has been bigger than I expected. The first few days were beyond exhausting. Each day however it gets easier and easier. I feel more confident each time I successfully run a classroom and have happy kids at the end of the day.

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I have been spent countless hours in a variety of classrooms during my undergrad. I was in a third grade classroom, fourth grade classroom, and spent a year in a second grade classroom. As a teacher I feel it is important to instill a love for learning in all students for them to be the most successful they can be!

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Hello and welcome to my Padlet! My name is Makayla Wichmann and I am a recent graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato. I am a K-6 licensed teacher who is new to the Professional world! I am an intern with Owatonna Public Schools. I a full time substitute teacher four days a week and one day is my Professional Development day. I am extremely passionate about working with children and have always had a passion for teaching. Thanks for visiting my Padlet- I hope you come back to hear about my experiences and learning.