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Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

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

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

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

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

1. Cultivate Relationships and Be Culturally Responsive

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

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

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

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

2. Teach Language Skills Across the Curriculum

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

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

3. Emphasize Productive Language

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

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

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

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

4. Speak Slowly-and Increase Your Wait Time

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

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

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

5. Differentiate-and Use Multiple Modalities

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

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

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

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

Bilingualism is the goal, of course, not replacement.

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

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

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

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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We interviewed educators with decades of experience in teaching ELLs and tapped a network of experts and observers to find the strategies that work.

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Learning a new language is an overwhelming experience for anyone - especially if you are supposed to be learning in that new language at the same time! Here are some ideas for helping students feel more comfortable in the mainstream classroom.

Create a welcoming environment.

You can do this by learning to pronounce students' names correctly, encouraging students to share their language and culture with the class, and adding books in students' languages (or about their native countries) to the classroom environment. Colorín Colorado offers a number of additional ideas in How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment.

Recruit "buddies" to help newcomers find their away around the school.

Students who speak the newcomers' first language will be especially helpful during the first few weeks, but English-speaking buddies are invaluable as well. Help your English-speaking students understand that newcomers may not be able to speak very much English at first, but that they will learn more as time goes on. Buddies may be able to help by:

taking newcomers on a tour the first day

showing students how to use lockers

sitting together at lunch

spending time together at recess

walking newcomers to their classes for the first few days

walking students to the bus.

Encourage your students to continue to use their first language.

Whether it's through speaking with family members at home, reading a book or an online newspaper in their native language, or listening to some of their favorite music, encourage students to keep their native language skills strong. Discuss the benefits of being bilingual, as well as some opportunities that students who are multilingual may have in the future.

There are academic benefits to maintaining native language skills as well. While students, parents, and teachers may feel pressure for students to learn English as quickly as possible, research strongly supports the positive effect of native language literacy on English literacy. Reading, academic, and content-area skills can often be transferred from one language to another, and it is generally easier to transfer those skills than to learn them while simultaneously learning English. Helping your students maintain their native language will in fact support their English language development.

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Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Making Students Comfortable

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Learning a new language is an overwhelming experience for anyone - especially if you are supposed to be learning in that new language at the same time! Here are some ideas for helping students feel more comfortable in the mainstream classroom.

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Mathematics is not about following rules, it’s about playing—and exploring, fighting, looking for clues, and sometimes even breaking things, according to Dan Finkel. In this playful, inspiring talk, the founder of Math for Love offers teachers and parents alike a five-step guide to sharing the beauty and playfulness of mathematical thinking with children.

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Mark Thompson: Emotional Engagement in Learning

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Dr. Thompson's talk focuses on the profound importance of emotional connection in learning and content-retention/mastery.

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Carol Dweck - A Study on Praise and Mindsets

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How families will transform our broken school system | Veronica Crespin-Palmer | TEDxMileHigh

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No such thing as naughty-Why we need to rethink challenging behaviour | Peter Nelmes | TEDxNorwichED

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Integrating Mindfulness in Your Classroom Curriculum

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Make mindfulness a part of classroom learning by integrating it into curriculum-themed activities through exercises in breathing, sensory experience, guided imagery, and movement.

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Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

By Caren Osten Gerszberg

On a cold March afternoon, the hallways were abuzz with chatter and giggles at Chatsworth Elementary School in Larchmont, New York. As the kindergarteners from Liz Slade's class ambled into their classroom from lunch and recess and put their jackets and lunch boxes into their cubbies, Slade asked, "Can today's mindful leader please come up front and begin?"

Isabella, a 6-year-old wearing a heart-clad gray shirt and polka-dot leggings, quietly took a cross-legged seat on the classroom rug facing her peers. With her palms facing up and resting on each knee, she began to tap her thumbs on each of her fingers, simultaneously repeating the words "I-am-calm-now" with each tap. Without hesitation, each of Isabella's classmates, along with their teacher, followed their mindful leader, tapping their thumbs and saying "I am calm now," gently lowering their voices after each repetition until the room grew quiet. Slade then asked her students to slowly make their way to their tables and take out their "feelings" journal.

"They are learning the experience of settling their body," said Slade. "What used to be a wild time now becomes a charming, sweet moment when we all take a pause and come back to being present."

Chatsworth is one of thousands of schools across the country that is bringing mindfulness into the classroom. Growing numbers of teachers, parents, and children are reaping the benefits that learning mindfulness-defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally"-can bring, including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, increased focus and self-regulation, and improved academic performance and sleep, among others.

Children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.

With heightened academic pressure trickling down to kids as early as kindergarten, resulting in less time for play and the arts, children today are faced with an unprecedented amount of stress and anxiety-25% of 13- to 18-year-olds will experience an anxiety disorder according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Such early stress levels can negatively impact learning, memory, behavior, and both physical and mental health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Escalating stress and pressure continue into middle and high school- a survey of 22,000 high school students conducted by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence found that, on average, students reported feeling negative emotions, such as stress, fatigue, and boredom, 75% of the time. An antidote to all this stress has never been needed more. Enter mindfulness.

Case Study: Mindfulness translates into improved academics

The Research on Mindfulness in Schools

While the implementation of school-based mindfulness programs for children in grades K through 12-such as Inner Resilience, Mindful Schools, Learning to Breathe, and MindUp to name just a few-is becoming more popular, empirical research proving the benefits of mindfulness is only beginning to emerge and more rigorous research will be needed over the coming decades. "We know very little about which programs work and what works for whom and under what conditions," said Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, Ph.D., co-author with Robert Roeser of the recently published Handbook of Mindfulness in Education: Integrating Theory and Research into Practice, and a professor and researcher at the University of British Columbia. A 2015 study by Schonert-Reichl looked at the effectiveness of a 12-week social and emotional learning (SEL) program that included mindfulness training. Ninety-nine 4 th and 5 th graders were divided into two groups: one received MindUp's weekly SEL curriculum and the other a social responsibility program already used in Canadian public schools. After analyzing measures, which included behavioral assessments, cortisol levels, feedback from their peers regarding sociability, and academic scores of math grades, the results revealed dramatic differences. Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive. The group trained in mindfulness excelled above the other group in the areas of attention, memory, emotional regulation, optimism, stress levels, mindfulness, and empathy.

Compared to the students who learned the social responsibility program, those trained in mindfulness scored higher in math, had 24% more social behaviors, and were 20% less aggressive.

Although in its early stages, research on the effects of school-based mindfulness programs is being fueled by three decades of studies on adults, which shows promise for its psychological and physiological benefits. Researchers are turning their focus to children and teens to figure out what, when, how much, and from whom the teaching of mindfulness works best. "We don't have conclusive evidence at this point about the benefits or impacts of mindfulness on youth," said Lisa Flook, Ph.D., associate scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We do see the promise of interventions and trainings on outcomes related to grades, wellbeing, and emotional regulation." In other words, the research looking at the benefits of mindfulness in education is pointing toward the positive.

"Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life," said Amy Saltzman, M.D., director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education, and director of Still Quiet Place. "Incorporating mindfulness into education has been linked to improving academic and social and emotional learning. Also, mindfulness strengthens some underlying development processes-such as focus, resilience, and self-soothing-that will help kids in the long run."

This is What a Mindful Classroom Looks Like

No one sees the value of a child's impulse control and focused awareness as clearly as a teacher. Liz Slade, who's been integrating mindfulness into her classroom for the last eight years, once observed a student walk up to a tall structure of blocks being built by a few of her classmates. "I watched this little girl raise her foot to kick the blocks, take a breath and then walk away," she said. "The kids can learn to notice distraction, self-regulate, and ask themselves, 'What do I need?'"

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Slade came to mindfulness on her own about 10 years ago, and after seeing the benefits in her own life, she started experimenting in the classroom with practices that used breathing and mindful listening. "As I became more knowledgeable, experimenting and seeing what was working, I was really impressed," she said. "The kids verbalized to me that they felt they had tools to use to handle stressful situations, which was very moving to me."

Recognizing the impact of her own practice and the positive effects in her classroom-and with the support of her school's principal, a critical component-Slade went on to apply for a grant for her school to bring in a formal training program called Inner Resilience, created by Linda Lantieri, who is also a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). From there, the support and enthusiasm spread throughout the Mamaroneck School District among teachers, parents, and the administration, with the Inner Resilience training program now offered to teachers and support staff at all six of its schools, which serve 5,200 students. "The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," said Lantieri. "If we are going to be in schools we need to make sure we are helping kids learn better, and if mindfulness can help with that, great."

"The best way to implement mindfulness is in an integrated way with social and emotional learning," says Linda Lantieri, a founding member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Most experts feel that the best implementation of mindfulness involves a teacher having her own mindfulness practice or at least an understanding. "It is how they teach, not just what they teach, and if a teacher is mindful in a classroom, the kids learn to be mindful," said Tish Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D., associate professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, who started a program called CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) for Teachers. "Teachers are really under a lot of stress and we know their stress affects our kids, so supporting them is a win-win," said Jennings. Her recent research found that teachers trained in the CARE for Teachers program felt less time urgency and were more positive and more sensitive. In addition, children were more engaged and productive.

For Rosalie Choniuk, a teacher at P.S. 94 in the Bronx, New York, learning mindfulness through the CARE for Teachers program has been life-changing. "I am a completely different person since learning mindfulness-mentally, physically and emotionally," said Choniuk. As an ENL (English as a New Language) teacher, Choniuk wears several hats in her school, often providing coverage for teachers when they need to be out of the classroom. Before developing her mindfulness practice, Choniuk grew anxious every time she was to report to a particular fifth-grade classroom, where kids were unruly and fights often broke out. "Now when I go, instead of having anxiety, I set an intention to be calm and deal with them in a positive manner," said Choniuk. "I see the changes in the kids, who are less reactive, and the changes in myself, and now I look forward to being in their class."

Create a Culture of Mindfulness in Schools

If a classroom teacher is not able to provide mindfulness lessons to their class, schools often bring instructors in from outside the school. But long-term mindfulness programs can be difficult to maintain in the classroom with this model. "With an outside person, programs can work insofar as they can train teachers to keep it up," said Trish Broderick, Ph.D., founder of the Learning to Breathe program and a research associate at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University. "The advantage of bringing in a program to teach mindfulness is that it can be replicated and used effectively when taught by teachers or school staff who already have a relationship with the kids."

The Mindful Schools program prefers to call its approach an adoption-where mindfulness begins at the individual teacher level-versus a rollout, or top-down decision made by leadership to implement a new program. "We don't mandate this for all the teachers; we let it grow organically," said Camille Whitney, former head of research at Mindful Schools. "We encourage any number of people to take the course voluntarily, and encourage it as a group so they can practice and build a program together."

Photo Credit: The Crim Fitness Foundation

Integrating mindfulness into a health and wellness curriculum is another alternative for implementation. "Rather than adding on, a program can be supplemented into an existing program," said Broderick, whose Learning to Breathe program is often used as part of a middle or high school's health curriculum.

Last winter, Annie Ward, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Mamaroneck Union Free School District, wandered into a high school health class during a school visit. Ward was struck to see the students sitting quietly with their eyes closed and feet on the floor, as they listened to a guided meditation the teacher was playing on a CD. "It was great to see this meditation happen with no fanfare, watching the kids settle right into it and seeing that it was clearly a ritual," said Ward.

Transform School Culture

When teaching mindfulness is accepted and embraced, it can change the tone and tenor of an entire school, or district. In 2008, the South Burlington, Vermont, school district began an effort to train teachers and students, using the Inner Resilience program for younger grades, and the Learning to Breathe program for older ones. For two years, almost 130 teachers volunteered to take the mindfulness training, and the program continued to grow and expand more deliberately to include cafeteria staff and bus drivers, totaling 170 trainees.

On top of the school-wide effort, they also invited parents to participate by offering evening mindfulness classes and lectures by local experts and visiting instructors, and in some cases, regular updates from teachers on mindfulness activities in the classroom. Training the teachers before the children and parental involvement were two components integral to the success of the South Burlington district's efforts, according to Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness, an initiative dedicated to funding and developing programs for youth and family wellness.

Including parents when a program is introduced is a way to expose them to what mindfulness is and is not. And then there's the questionable connection to religion, which can, in some communities, be a hot topic. "One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," said Neagley. The teaching is based entirely on emerging neuroscience and keeping all references to Buddhism, and words commonly used during yoga, such as namaste, out of the school vernacular is critical. In some schools, the word yoga has been replaced with "mindful movement" so there is no confusion about the ways in which mindfulness is being taught. "What we are teaching is how to pay attention and be more aware, and how to implement that awareness in our lives," said Lantieri. "What we are teaching we teach in a secular context."

One of the most important things we learned from public meetings with parents and the community was to be sure the training is completely secular with no religiosity at all," says Marilyn Neagley, former director of Talk About Wellness.

For systemic change to take place in a district-as it did in South Burlington -administration and teachers need to figure out where mindfulness can fit, how it will work, and what is needed to bring it in. And there needs to be a point person who can move it forward. "Any district I'm working with has a superintendent or assistant superintendent who is thinking five years out, not just about one classroom," said Lantieri. "That's how SEL started, with one teacher who got excited."

After journaling time was over, Liz Slade's kindergarteners gathered again on the rug to do some imagination breaths. Going around the circle, each child paired a breath with a made-up hand movement and named it-a snowflake breath, a jellyfish breath, a clamshell breath-and the rest of the class mimicked the movement. After a while, when the kids got antsy, Slade asked them to get up and jump around. There were wiggles and tumbles and twists and then she said, "Now make a mindful statue." The children froze in place, and all you could hear was the sound of their breath.

Tips and Practices for Teachers and Parents

By Susan Kaiser Greenland

When children and teens practice appreciation painful thoughts and emotions sometimes show up. As parents we often want to ease our children's pain, but children can easily misinterpret guidance to be thankful as an indication that we're minimizing their challenges, even when that's not the case. So how should we help when painful emotions do come up? We should encourage kids to view how they feel through a wide lens, not to gloss over their feelings or push them aside. When kids acknowledge their hurt feelings and remember the good things in their lives, they embody an open mind. There's a practice I like to do called Three Good Things that gives children a chance to practice this holistic mind-set when they're upset and they need it the most.

Appreciation Practice: Three Good Things

When faced with a disappointment, we acknowledge our feelings, and then we think of three good things in our lives, too.

Leading the game:

1. Ask your child: "Do you ever feel disappointed by something or someone?"
Listen to children's stories.

2. Ask: "How did that make you feel? "
Acknowledge children's feelings and, if appropriate, talk about them.

3. Say something like: "I bet even when you're feeling disappointed there are good things happening in your life too. Let's name three good things together."

Tips for naming three good things:

1. Remind children that the point of this game isn't to pretend they're not upset when they feel upset. It's to remember that they can feel two things at once: they can feel grateful for good things while feeling sad, hurt, or disappointed by challenges.

2. If children or teens have trouble thinking of three good things on their own, brainstorm and help them discover some.

3. When kids understand that this game is not about sweeping their feelings under the rug, the phrase "three good things" can become a playful and humorous response to the minor gripes that show up in family life. For instance, if a young child spills a glass of apple juice and looks like he's going to cry, you can respond with something like, "Ahhh, that can be frustrating. Can you name Three Good Things while we wipe the counter?"

4. Parents can encourage kids to remind them to name Three Good Things when they're stuck on a trivial disappointment or minor annoyance, too.

5. To develop a habit of thankfulness, play Three Good Things around the dinner table, before bedtime, and at other times when the family is together (and no one is upset).

The more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard.

At first, appreciation and thankfulness may feel like a mere intellectual exercise. Yet the more families carve out time to practice appreciation when life is good, the easier it is for parents and children to be thankful for the good things in life when times are hard. When that shift happens, appreciation becomes an integral part of a family's worldview and is no longer just an intellectual exercise.
This article was excerpted from Mindful Games © 2016 by Susan Kaiser Greenland. Illustrations © 2016 by Lindsay DuPont. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.

A Guide To Bringing Mindfulness into Your School

What can you do to bring mindfulness into your child's school? What are the best strategies, practices, and resources to implement a mindfulness program? Implementing a school-wide mindfulness program can take several years, so create a well-thought-out plan that includes presenting programming to parents and faculty. Be patient-making changes in schools can be a lengthy process. Here are a few things to consider:

Why teach mindfulness?
1) Kids are stressed.

1 in 8 children in the United States suffers from Anxiety Disorders. (National Institutes of Health)

1 in 5 children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. (Child Mind Institute)

2) Teachers are stressed.

According to research, most teachers experience job stress at least two to four times a day, with more than 75% of teachers' health problems attributed to stress. (National Education Association)

The Benefits of mindfulness

Studies show that the benefits of mindfulness may include:

Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion

Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being

Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior

How to bring mindfulness into schools

Start with teachers. Teachers are the vehicle for integrating change into a school's culture. Is there a teacher who already has a mindfulness practice, and is willing to champion the effort to bring mindfulness into your child's school? If not, are there teachers willing to learn more about the benefits of mindfulness for themselves, as well as their students?

Know the science. The research on teaching mindfulness to children is only in its beginning stages, yet there are studies that show its impact on both the body and the brain. Scientific evidence is an important component for bringing administrators and faculty to embrace your plan.
A few key studies:

A 2016 study in Frontiers in Psychology measured emotional well-being of 7- to 9-year-olds and found that a school-based mindfulness program improves higher-order thinking, and helps students become more engaged, positive learners.

A randomized controlled study in the Journal of School Psychology on more than 100 6th grade students found those who completed classroom-based, teacher-implemented mindfulness meditation were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than the control groups.

A study of 4th and 5th graders published in Developmental Psychology found that students who received mindfulness training improved their cognitive ability and stress physiology, reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, and optimism, showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, and were more popular.

Engage faculty, administrators, and parents. Including parents and school staff-and ideally support staff, such as aides, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers-will provide the basis for the most effective implementation of a school-based mindfulness program. If there is hesitation or resistance to mindfulness, take the time to offer the facts, benefits, and science, and emphasize the importance of teaching mindfulness in school in an entirely secular way.

Look for developmentally appropriate practices. Mindfulness in schools comes in different shapes and sizes-just like the kids-so research the programs that fit specifically with the ages in your school. There are some designed for the youngest ages, which differ in style and content from those designed for older grades.

Which mindfulness program is right for your teachers?

There are a variety of programs you can consider recommending to teachers and administrators, or for your own training. Some are online, some use recordings, and some may require in-person training. Here are a few to consider:

4. Cheryl Brause
Mindfulness Instructor
Daniel Warren School * Rye Neck, New York

On a recent visit to the Daniel Warren School, where she's a visiting mindfulness instructor, Cheryl Brause entered a second-grade classroom, sat down, and made eye contact with the children who settled on the floor in front of her. "Instead of feeling the need to tell them what to do, I could simply acknowledge them one by one, silently welcoming them into our time together, and this let them know that I am here to listen and to be present with them as we explore mindfulness together," said Brause. As her own practice and knowledge deepened through a yearlong mindful educator certification that she completed this summer, Brause recognizes the changes in her experience. "I'm much less distracted while teaching, thinking less about what I need to accomplish, and more present and focused on the kids, allowing the lesson to flow from there."

Brause came to mindfulness as a means to slow down and be more present in her own life. It began with a yoga practice, and after trying a variety of types of meditation, it was an MBSR class that exposed her to mindfulness. "I realized how quickly mindfulness resonated with me and made a real difference in my everyday life," said Brause. "It made me realize how distracted I had been and how little time I spent being fully present."

10 Mindful Books for Adults

1. Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, by Patricia A. Jennings.

2. Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom, by Meena Srinivasan.

3. The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate, Susan Kaiser Greenland.

4. Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance, by Patricia C. Broderick.

5. A Still Quiet Place: A Mindfulness Program for Teaching Children and Adolescents to Ease Stress and Difficult Emotions, by Amy Saltzman, MD

6. Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience, by Christopher Willard, Psy D

7. The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress by Gina M. Biegel

8. Mindfulness for the Next Generation: Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives by Holly Rogers, MD, and Margaret Maytan, MD

9. Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens Hardcover by Christopher Willard PsyD and Amy Saltzman MD

10. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain Hardcover , by Daniel J.Siegel, MD

8 Mindful Books for Children & Teens

1. Visiting Feelings, by Lauren Rubenstein

2. Peaceful Piggy Meditation by Kerry Lee Maclean

3. Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), by Eline Snel.

4. Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids, by Maud Roegiers

5. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud

6. Lemonade Hurricane, by Licia Morelli and Jennifer Morris

7. What does it mean to be Present? By Rana DiOrio and Eliza Wheeler

8. Anh's Anger, by Gail Silver

Read More

So much of communication is actually not about what we say. It's about how we come across, the tone of our voice, our body language, and all of that is an expression of our internal state. So this is one of the reasons why mindfulness is such an essential and... Read More

If you're trying to bring this into a school, or into an organization, you find the person most likely who's going to be open to it, and you start there. Maybe, you just start in that one classroom. Find a Mindfulness Ally I have a friend, she's a nutritionist and... Read More

Join the Mindful Educators Community: A free resource for teachers, students and communities

A free resource offering the best practices for bringing mindfulness into the classroom from 25 of today's leading mindfulness experts and educators. Read More

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Best Practices for Bringing Mindfulness into Schools Creating a safe place for our kids to learn might begin with creating some space for them to breathe.

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Stress is a powerful thing. In small doses, it can motivate us to ace that presentation at work or land our dream job. But when left unchecked for a long time, stress is anything but motivating.

So, what's really going on when you're stressed? And how can paying attention to your stress improve your health?

What is stress?

Whether you've just narrowly avoided a car accident or are worried about losing your job, stressful situations trigger a release of hormones known as the "fight-or-flight response."

The reaction starts in a part of your brain called the amygdala, which processes emotions like fear. When the amygdala senses danger, it sends a distress signal to your hypothalamus, which communicates to the rest of your body via the nervous system. When the hypothalamus gives the signal, your brain releases hormones like epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and the stress hormone cortisol into your bloodstream.

"The fight-or-flight response is a survival mechanism that lets us react quickly to dangerous situations by preparing to either fight or run from the stressor," explains Laura Keys Campbell, PhD, chief of outpatient psychology and therapy at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Some physical signs your fight-or-flight response has kicked in include:

Rapid breathing and heart rate

Heightened senses and awareness

Tense muscles

Pale or flushed skin

Cold or clammy hands

Dilated pupils

Dizziness

Nausea

In a truly dangerous situation, this response can be lifesaving. But when stress is chronic and this system is activated too often, it takes a toll on your body.

How does stress affect the body?

Left unmanaged, stress impacts you physically, mentally and emotionally.

"Research shows that chronic stress can have effects on almost every system in the body - from the heart to the digestive system to the immune system," Dr. Campbell says.

Here are nine effects of stress on your body:

1.Elevated blood pressure

It's normal for your blood pressure to temporarily spike when your fight-or-flight response is activated. But when stress becomes chronic, it could lead to long-term high blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease.

2.Weakened immune system

Do you feel like you always catch a cold after finishing a stressful project? It's probably because of cortisol's effect on your immune system.

"Cortisol temporarily inhibits your ability to fight off infections because it decreases your body's supply of white blood cells," explains Dr. Campbell. "This can make you more prone to catching illnesses like the cold or flu."

3.Chronic inflammation

But too much cortisol over a long period can also cause your immune system to overreact in the form of inflammation.

"Inflammation is a critical part of the healing process as your body responds to intruders like viruses and bacteria," says Dr. Campbell. "But when no intruders are present and your body is still sending out inflammatory signals, it can lead to chronic inflammation."

Chronic inflammation has been linked to several health conditions including:

Arthritis

Diabetes

Heart disease

Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Alzheimer's and dementia

Cancer

"Going through periods of high stress doesn't automatically mean you'll develop one of these conditions, but it can put you at increased risk - or make symptoms worse if you already have something like arthritis or IBS," explains Dr. Campbell.

4.Headaches

Why does it always seem like a pounding headache strikes right when your frustration reaches its peak?

"Because your muscles tense up during the fight-or-flight response, chronic stress can cause tension headaches or trigger migraines in people prone to them," says Dr. Campbell.

5.Anxiety, depression or mood changes

Beyond the physical effects, stress can also have a big impact on your mental health.

"Studies have shown that unmanaged stress can trigger anxiety, depression, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability," says Dr. Campbell. "It can also lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms like drug and alcohol abuse."

6.Weight gain

There's a reason why you reach for mac and cheese or cake whenever you're stressed.

"Cortisol can cause cravings for foods rich in fat, sugar and salt. This is because our bodies are looking for quick doses of energy to prepare for whatever perceived threat we're facing," explains Dr. Campbell.

Over time, reaching for these comfort foods during stressful situations could become an unhealthy habit leading to weight gain.

7.Difficulty sleeping

You're too stressed to sleep, so you stay up late. But then you're so tired that you feel even more stressed and stay up later the next night. Sound familiar?

"Stress and sleep can be a slippery slope," says Dr. Campbell. "Increased adrenaline and cortisol can make you feel too on edge to fall asleep and sleep deprivation can make you more likely to get stressed out."

8.Decreased sex drive

Wondering where your libido went? First consider how stressed you've been.

"When we're going through periods of high stress, it's perfectly normal for sex to be the last thing on our minds," says Dr. Campbell. "This is typically only temporary and should resolve as you cope with the stress."

9.Changes to your menstrual cycle

If you've noticed your period is late, heavier or shorter than usual, it could be stress.

"Because of chronic stress' effect on hormones, it could cause irregular menstrual cycles," explains Dr. Campbell. "You should always talk with your doctor about any changes in your period and be sure to mention if you've experienced any long-term stress lately."

Ways to relieve stress

So, how do you reduce stress once you have it?

"It might be tempting to overeat, drink alcohol or use tobacco, but those things provide temporary relief at best, and only add to health problems in the long run," says Dr. Campbell.

Some healthier ways to relieve stress include:

"Exercise is an especially great way to reduce or eliminate stress, boost your energy levels and improve your mood, not to mention your overall health," Dr. Campbell notes. "And you don't have to run miles to get the benefits for your mind and body. You can start small by taking a daily walk."

Need more help or guidance?

If you're having a hard time identifying what's causing your stress or the effects aren't going away, talk to your doctor. They can work with you to identify causes and discuss coping techniques. They might also refer you to a licensed therapist or a professional counselor who can help you pinpoint and possibly eliminate sources of stress.

And if constant stress leaves you with sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, get help immediately.

"Listen to your body," Dr. Campbell says. "And when it tells you it's under stress or you need help coping, pay attention to that message, so you can enjoy a long, healthy and high-quality life."

Next steps:

Learn about mental health care at Geisinger
Discover how to boost your happy hormones naturally
Explore ways to reduce stress as a caregiver

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9 effects of stress on your body, mind and behavior

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Stress can be good in small doses. But chronic stress can have negative effects on everything from your heart to your immune system.

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With such an overwhelming number of children facing trauma, it can be easy for educators to lose hope or burn out. They, and others in caring professions, can face "vicarious trauma," more commonly known as compassion fatigue-the cumulative, detrimental effect of working with survivors of traumatic life events. Symptoms can include insomnia, substance abuse, inability to focus, memory impairment, anxiety, depression, isolation, chronic fatigue, and more. So how can educators protect themselves from the many possible effects of vicarious trauma? Our Center for Special Education's Institute for Trauma Sensitivity (LIFTS) has some ideas.

1. Know what is yours to do.

Separate what you wish you could do from what you know you can do. You may feel that you are not doing enough-a sure way of developing stress and feeling overwhelmed. While you may not be able to prevent trauma or remove suffering children from their situations, you can do your job to the best of your ability, with love and compassion for both the students and yourself. Focus on the task at hand and be fully present for your students. You might begin the day by setting an intention such as, "Today my intention is to do my part in fostering a safe environment for my students..." And once your intention is set...

2. Let go of the result.

This is not to say that you stop caring about the efficacy of your teaching, connecting with students, or community building, it is to say that you can practice being less attached to exactly how you think things should look. When we loosen the grip on our ideas about the way things should be, we are much more open to new ideas and new ways of looking at things. Acknowledge the brain's desire for control with humor and compassion, and you create more space to find creative solutions.

3. Develop a self-care strategy.

Creating a strategy for taking care of yourself is a necessary step in avoiding compassion fatigue. Some ideas:

Spend quiet time alone to get centered and recount things that bring you joy and make you feel engaged with the world around you.

Integrate small steps toward wellness into your daily routine, such as eating better, getting outside, exercising, dancing, singing, or drawing.

Learn how to say no. There is a big difference between being dependable and always saying yes. Choosing to live in alignment with your own values, goals, mission and passion makes it easy to know when to say "yes" and when to say "no, thank you," alleviating resentment and allowing life to unfold more harmoniously.

4. Create a strong network.

In our competitive culture, it is easy to develop a sense that we have to go it alone. However, we are hardwired for connection and interdependence; it really does take a village. Build a professional community of trusted colleagues with whom you can share your vision, fears, hopes and successes. Look for allies to help in difficult situations-a maintenance specialist, office administrator, or the teacher next door might connect with a student who gives you the cold shoulder. Such relationships not only support you, they can help students build trust and confidence.

5. Be authentic.

In her book " The Gifts of Imperfection," author Brené Brown writes: "Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are. [It] is a collection of choices that we have to make every day to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen." Showing up as your truest self is an invaluable gift to your students. In meeting ourselves where we are, we give students permission to meet themselves where they are.

6. Practice mindfulness.

The physical and emotional benefits of mindfulness, or focusing one's attention on the present moment and accepting what is rather than what should be, are many. Where chronic stress can shrink essential brain structures, practice of mindfulness meditation can increase the mass of those same structures, leading to benefits such as improved memory and focus, better sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduced anxiety and depression. Even when practiced for just a few minutes every day, mindfulness meditation can lead to increased self-awareness, self-acceptance, greater empathy, closer connections, and an overall sense of well-being.

More importantly, mindfulness can provide a new perspective. Rather than identifying with a continual stream of thoughts, we identify with a deeper sense of awareness. This, in turn, can lead to an experience of compassion as an endless, rather than exhaustive, resource-toward yourself, your colleagues, and your students.

Read more about How to Be Mindful.

Trauma & Learning Resources

Helping Traumatized Children Learn, by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative

The report summarizes the research on how child development is affected by trauma, noting the varied consequences for academic performance as well as social and emotional functioning. This book identifies the need for school-wide ecological supports (Trauma Sensitive Schools) as the basis for student success.
Helping Traumatized Children Learn Volume II
This report articulates the process for encouraging development of Trauma Sensitive Schools, through the creation of Learning Organizations within schools that follow an effective change process using an inquiry based methodology. A policy agenda calls for changes in laws and policies to support schools.

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Six Ways for Educators to Avoid Compassion Fatigue

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It's easy to get overwhelmed by students' struggles. Here are some ways not to burn out when working with students with trauma.

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Linking Family Engagement to Learning: Karen Mapp's '8 for 8'

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Why Mindfulness Should Be Just As Important As Math in Our Schools

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Jennifer Grace, author of the book, Directing Your Destiny, advocates for teaching meditation and mindfulness in schools.

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Why SEL and Employability Skills Should Be Prioritized in Education | Committee for Children

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Self-motivation, communication, problem-solving, and relationship building-some common aspects of social-emotional learning (SEL)-are the skills needed for 21st-century jobs. Research shows that the skills taught in SEL curricula have wide-ranging benefits that affect a young person's future success. Read More

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Research | Simmons DN, Brackett MA, Adler N | 1-min read

Many students face barriers to healthy social, emotional, and academic development, but a range of strategies can help overcome those barriers.

The Issue

Social and emotional learning (SEL) equips young people with competencies to lead productive and healthy lives. There are barriers, however, that prevent many students of color and other marginalized youth from developing social and emotional competencies. For all students to benefit, SEL must be grounded in a larger context of equity and justice efforts within public education.

Key Findings

Five barriers contribute to inequitable access to a high-quality SEL education, and in turn, opportunities for all children to have healthy social, emotional, and academic development.

The authors identify those barriers as: poverty, exclusionary discipline practices and policies in school, lack of trauma-informed practices in school, implicit bias in school staff, and educator stress and burnout.

Five opportunities are identified for overcoming those barriers: School racial and socioeconomic integration initiatives, restorative justice practices for school discipline, trauma-informed system interventions, culturally competent and equity-literate educators, and SEL and mindfulness programming to support students and teachers.

Conclusion

Health equity benefits everyone and aligns well with our nation's promise of liberty and justice for all. We must apply an equity lens to how leaders lead, educators teach, and students learn to create opportunities for all young people to be as healthy as possible.

About Pennsylvania State University

Founded in 1855, the Pennsylvania State University is a renowned public research university that educates students from around the world and collaborates with partners to share valuable knowledge that improves the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit www.psu.edu. To learn more about the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, go to prevention.psu.edu.

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Applying an Equity Lens to Social, Emotional, and Academic Development

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Research | Simmons DN, Brackett MA, Adler N | 1-min read Many students face barriers to healthy social, emotional, and academic development, but a range of strategies can help overcome those barriers. The Issue Social and emotional learning (SEL) equips young people with competencies to lead productive and healthy lives.

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Race in the Heartland: Wisconsin's Extreme Racial Disparity

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In the 20th Century, people from around the world came to Wisconsin and the Midwest, seeking opportunity in the industrial boom. Manufacturing and unions helped create good jobs for many black workers, but discrimination and segregation limited that sharply. When industrial jobs declined, black Midwesterners suffered the most.

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Challenging behaviors are any behaviors that impact the learning process. They might include refusing to work, arguing, calling out, refusing to put the phone away, or not following instructions. These situations can become extremely difficult for educators in the classroom, so it is critical to have strategies and interventions along the way.
UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
It's important to note that there is always a reason for challenging behaviors. Sometimes, as adults, we don't see or understand the reasons. This can feel frustrating, of course. Regardless, it's important to take a step back and have empathy. It would almost always be easier for a child or teen to follow the rules and meet expectations. Challenging behaviors are ways that kids communicate their feelings and needs. Perhaps a child didn't eat breakfast. Maybe a student is struggling with a family divorce. It's even possible that the child is having difficulty coping with past trauma that no one knows about. There are numerous possible reasons.

Having empathy and understanding for what a child or teen is going through can be the first step in making progress in the right direction.
PROACTIVE STRATEGIES

While it's critical to have strategies prepared for behavioral challenges in the moment, sometimes this can serve as just a "band-aid." Alongside those strategies, it's important to develop proactive approaches as well. Being proactive is all about considering ideas and strategies to put in place when all is calm, long before a behavioral episode happens. In fact, these strategies lay the foundation for growth, change, and progress.

Of course, there are several proactive strategies that can be put into place. Rather than trying to use all the strategies, focus on just a few and practice them with fidelity. Be consistent and make them meaningful.

Be clear with expectations. Kids and teens can only do well when they know how. Explain the classroom expectations, discuss them, and revisit them often. For example, prior to a schoolwide assembly, take a few minutes and talk about what students should do, how they can pay attention, and when they should clap. You can review expectations before group work, walking down the hallway, going to the book fair, during morning work, and many other times. All kids benefit from the reminder, but some truly need it.

Be consistent. Kids and teens thrive on structure and consistency. Be consistent with your expectations, whether it is the first day of school or the day before a break. Students might misunderstand or feel confused when expectations are changed. It's always best to be consistent.

Build strong relationships. Strong connections are paramount to helping kids and teens do their best. If we want kids to do well, we need to make sure they feel connected, respected, and loved. Spend time chatting with learners about their favorite sports, current events, and dreams for the future. Get to know them on a personal level. There are numerous strategies for connecting and building relationships with kids. Use this printable list with relationship-building questions to get started or read up more ideas to build relationships with learners. Simply put, relationships are the foundation for everything.

Teach social skills. When a student is struggling, stop and think about what social skills they might be lacking. Do they struggle with group work because they don't know how to work well on a team? Do they continually interrupt the class because they lack strong self-control skills? Many of these social skills can be explicitly taught and practiced in small groups. You can set up a lunch group to teach to a small group of students or you can spend morning meeting time teaching the entire class.

Consider accommodations. Sometimes, kids struggle because they can't see the board from where they are sitting or because the work is too challenging. If the student has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504, refer back to it to ensure the student has access to their modifications and accommodations. If the student is not on any plan, consider what simple classroom accommodations might help that child. Perhaps move them to the front of the room or give them the choice of two different worksheets during morning work time. There are many different accommodations that you can try and many don't take much effort or time.

Consider health and wellness needs. Take time to consider if the student might be struggling because they are not getting enough sleep, are skipping breakfast, or are getting headaches on a regular basis. While all of these issues aren't easily fixed, understanding them can help pinpoint what your next steps should be.

Teach and practice coping strategies. Coping strategies, or coping skills, are the activities we do to help manage stress and tough emotions. Coping strategies are life skills that are incredibly important to teach and practice with kids and teens. Spend time practicing deep breathing techniques, practice yoga, do some mindful journal writing activities, and practice positive self-talk. All of these activities are coping strategies that kids and teens can use when feeling overwhelmed or upset.

Incorporate interests. Find ways to add student interests into the lessons and activities in the classroom. When working on writing skills, you might model paragraph writing by talking about a student's favorite video game or sport. Know your students first, then add what they love into the day. Not only will this help build relationships, but it helps keep kids motivated, focused, and involved.

Create a calm down area. Every classroom should have a spot where kids and teens can go to calm down and get themselves back on track. This can reduce the amount of time kids are out of your class missing critical instruction. Having a calm down area also helps teach kids that it's okay to feel upset, as long as you manage your feelings in a socially appropriate way.

Start with morning meeting. A morning meeting is a positive check-in time where students greet each other and talk about topics. This can serve as a healthy morning routine while teaching skills that kids need. Learn more about morning meetings, why they matter, and how you can get started with them.

Create a behavior plan. Sit 1:1 with your struggling learner and develop a behavior plan that works for them. Review expectations, goals, and come up with incentives the student wants to work for. Aim for non-tangible incentives, such as listening to music during morning work time, extra gym time, or class reader. Not only are these rewards that don't cost anything, but they also build relationships.

Give student choice. Choice is a powerful tool, especially when dealing with challenging behaviors. It's important to note that giving choice isn't giving the easy way out or letting kids get away with behaviors. Instead, it is allowing kids some wiggle room while helping them achieve the end goal. It's a win-win. For example, when working on reading skills, let your students choose between two stories with different topics. When practicing spelling words, let kids choose between writing with a pencil or with a gel pen. Small choice options reduce power struggles and allow kids to feel successful in their own way.

Plan for triggers. Consider the situations that cause your student to struggle the most and plan for them. For example, if the student regularly has difficulty working in a larger group, consider putting the student with one or two peer role models instead of choosing friends.

Teach mindful breathing techniques. Mindful breathing is a technique to help kids and teens focus on their breathing in the moment. This can help kids feel calm, focused, and in control. This is one of the best strategies to teach and practice because it can be done easily anywhere when needed. Read more about mindful breathing techniques to try with your learners.

Conference privately. Meet with students privately on a regular basis to talk about what's going well and what could be improved. It's important to not wait until a behavior challenge occurs to do this. Kids need to know that you are their mentor and advocate. You can even set up a weekly review binder and meet with students once a week to talk about their goals, progress, and what's on their mind. This is a great way to build relationships, but also a strategy that can help you have those tough conversations about behavior expectations when they need to happen.
MANAGING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS

In the moment, it can help to use the word ADAPT to de-escalate and restore calm to the situation. Here are the simple steps:

Act calm. Keeping yourself calm in the moment is critical to help kids and teens regain their calm. Even in moments when you don't feel calm, practice deep breathing and use positive self-talk to help yourself stay grounded. This will help kids and teens get back on track quicker.

De-escalate. De-escalating the situation means helping to restore the calm. This is an important step because kids and teens are overwhelmed when upset and not thinking clearly. You can de-escalate by using a calming voice, giving the student space, co-regulating with a calming strategy, or changing the subject to something positive. Find what works for your learner.

Acknowledge feelings. It's important to let kids know that you acknowledge their feelings. You might say, "I can tell you're angry about that. I would feel angry, too." Then, just listen. Hear kids out.

Problem-solve. When the student is calm, problem-solve together. You might say, "I noticed group work was really tough for you earlier today. What was going on? How could we work on that together?" Remember to stay open-minded and flexible. Again, most importantly, listen to the student. Come up with a plan for next time together.

Think reflectively. Spend time being reflective. Think about what went wrong and what you, as the adult, could have done differently. Could you have asked in a different way? Could you have provided choice instead of expecting one specific assignment done? Being reflective is a critical and healthy process.

If this is a topic you could use more support with, consider signing up to be a Pathway 2 Success member! As a Pathway 2 Success member, you will get updates on blog posts and access to exclusive free resources in the member library, like the Managing Behaviors Cheat Sheet and De-escalation List. Just enter your email address below to join as a Pathway 2 Success member!

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Supporting kids and teens with challenging behaviors in the classroom. Teachers and parents can use this guide to come up with strategies and techniques to help when kids don't follow directions or act out in challenging ways. It also includes a link to a free cheat sheet!

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The new question-of-the-week is:
What are practical ways to implement restorative practices?
There is more and more interest in moving away from "traditional" school discipline and toward restorative practices. This series will explore what that kind of shift can look like-in practical terms-inside our schools and classrooms.

Today, Dr. Sheila Wilson, Maurice McDavid, Timothy Hilton, Ashley McCall, Bryan Harris, and Kara Pranikoff contribute their commentaries. You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Sheila, Maurice, and Timothy on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.
"When You Know Better, You Do Better!" Dr. Sheila Wilson is a native New Orleanian. She currently works as a 5th grade teacher in Virginia. In addition to instructional leadership, she serves to improve the capacity of students, teachers, and families through her roles as grade chair, lead mentor teacher, family-engagement liaison, and SCA adviser. Dr. Wilson is also an adjunct professor, conference presenter, and self-proclaimed lifelong learner. She is passionate about amplifying instruction, school leadership, and equity:
We are all familiar with the discipline practices of yesteryear, which would likely cause any conscientious educator today to cringe. Corporal punishment/traditional discipline practices were widely accepted and viewed as a means of correcting unwanted negative behaviors. I can vividly remember being a high school sophomore assigned to write 500 lines for being caught passing a note in the classroom. And who can forget the ultimate ... getting paddled in the principal's office! Even though it didn't personally happen to me (really), just the idea evoked fear in students of all ages and deterred most from mischievous acts. So, why was corporal punishment acceptable then? Why is corporal punishment no longer an accepted discipline practice in most places? Is punishment designed for those who obey the rules or for others? These questions make me call to mind the adage, "When you know better, you do better!"

Countless studies have shown that traditional discipline practices are no longer effective in today's schools. In fact, traditional practices were so commonplace in part because the ability to apply an immediate consequence was less time consuming for the one doling out the punishment. However, we now embrace restorative practices because they draw their strength in their ability to empower students to learn from unacceptable choices, to understand their impact, and to grow personally in their ability to make more sound decisions and resolve problems. Restorative practices represent a positive step forward in helping all students learn to resolve disagreements, take ownership of their behavior, and engage in acts of empathy and forgiveness.

There are many ways to implement restorative practices in the classroom. First, teachers can incorporate daily morning meetings to build relationships with students, get a sense of their social/emotional mindset, and set the tone and focus for the instructional day. Teachers can also utilize goal setting with their students as a restorative practice. With goal setting, students take ownership of areas they'd like to improve (academically or socially), and they set realistic and actionable steps to work toward their goal. By providing individual goal conferences, teachers can check in to see if students are on track to meet their goals, and students learn to self-check and refocus as needed. Another useful strategy is when an unacceptable behavior has happened that the teacher allows the offended student to share how the offense made him/her feel. In this way, the offender is able to understand how his/her behavior impacts others and therefore understand the perspective of the other person. Finally, there is great restorative power in having the student who has made an unacceptable choice reflect on his/her behavior in writing by addressing very specific questions like: What choice did I make? How did my choice impact others? Is there a better way that I could have addressed this situation? If I had the opportunity for a redo, would I make the same choice? Why or why not?

There are a number of benefits or restorative practices:

Builds relationships

Strives to be respectful to all

Provides the opportunity for equitable dialogue and decisionmaking

Involves relevant stakeholders

Addresses harms, needs, obligations

Encourages all to take responsibility

Educators have come to realize that you can't punish a child into doing anything. Instead of simply instituting harsh punishment, we need to teach kids the kind of skills, supported by research, to help them improve their behavior. This is why districts are embracing the implementation of restorative structures in schools across the nation. In building socially responsible students, we must arm them with the ability to think critically, problem-solve, and be able to work collaboratively with others. It will be through their mastery of academic knowledge AND their capacity to engage successfully with others that will ultimately guarantee their future success. Therefore, as educators, we must invest our efforts wisely.

Four Restorative Practices
Maurice McDavid earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in history and Spanish. He has taught middle school history, English, and Spanish, as well as high school geography. He was dean of students for three years and is now in his first year as assistant principal at a bilingual elementary school.:

There are four restorative practices that I have worked to implement in our school building that all work on the same model of restorative justice: community-building circles, norm setting, community circles for content, and restorative chats.

Community-building circles: This practice is great for the beginning of the year, as well as use throughout the year to build a community of learners. This allows the students to get to know one another, as well as the teacher. This practice builds empathy amongst the students and will reduce the negative attacking behaviors that can exist in classrooms.

Norm setting: This practice is done using the model of a community-building circle but emphasizes the building of classroom norms together. Oftentimes, rules are handed down by authority and are necessary. Through the norm-setting process, students discuss the values (love, kindness, honesty, etc.) that are important to them in a relationship. From there, students take the values and turn them into action statements describing how they could live out those values in the classroom. A list of action statements or norms are created and can then be edited together as a class. What is awesome about this process is that the norms created are not adult-driven but instead are created as a community and thus has more community buy-in.

Community circles for content: This again uses the community-circle model for the base of practice. The difference is that rather than simply looking to build community, you can use the circle to present content in a class. It is a great discussion model. I have used it to introduce units and gather feedback about students' background information. The students are able to share openly and yet in an organized fashion, using the talking piece to moderate.

Restorative chats: Restorative chats are used when students do not meet the norms that were established in the classroom. It can be one on one or can be done with the whole class. It is centered around the following four questions:

What happened? - This differs from what did you do and allows students to tell the whole story and feel heard.

What were you thinking at the time? - This asks students to go back through the mental process they used when making the decision to act outside of the norms. This is a meta-cognitive practice. It allows for reflection on what thoughts and/or emotions may have led to the behavior.

Who or what was harmed? - This question asks the student to be accountable for the idea that their behavior caused harm to someone or something. Students are quick to discover that they have harmed themselves and, oftentimes, see how their behavior has harmed a teacher or classmate. This builds empathy.

How do you repair the harm? - This question asks the student to think about how they can make the situation right rather than simply serving a consequence that is not directly connected to the action. Students may offer to apologize or clean up a mess created. Students get to be a part of deciding what happens rather than having a decision made for them.

Starting "Small" Timothy Hilton is a climate and culture specialist with the Fresno Unified school district, in California, where he coaches teachers on classroom management and class climate. Timothy has over 10 years classroom-teaching experience at every level of social studies, ranging from Advanced Placement to English-language development. Timothy is currently a doctoral candidate at Claremont Graduate University in the field of educational policy, evaluation, and reform:
The Restorative practices world is a world that many educators fear simply because they do not know a lot about it. Educators are rarely trained to an adequate level in how to make Restorative Practices (RP) work in their daily lives. Teachers are usually shown the heavy-duty re-entry circles or conflict mediation to demonstrate the power of RP, but this often leaves teachers intimidated, overwhelmed, and asking how this is going to work for them.

The best, and most practical way, to implement restorative practices in the classroom is to start small with some basic restorative skills that can be practiced in your classroom, and even in your life outside of school. These skills are listening, affective communication, and curiosity questions. Once these skills have been practiced, lived, and embraced, then teacher can begin working into the heavier-duty RP practices.

Listening: While the concept of listening seems self-explanatory, we as teachers do not always do it. We are often trying to do a million things at once and, in turn, never really listen to our students. We hear them, but do we listen? In a restorative classroom, there are a couple ways we can demonstrate that we are listening. First is by mirroring their emotions and feelings about a topic. If they are serious when they are telling you something, then be serious as you listen. Second is by demonstrating active listening and paraphrasing. Saying things like, "What I am hearing you say is ..." Third is by being present and validating their feelings. If they are telling you something, make sure you are in the conversation and not planning your grocery list. A big part of being present is validating their feelings. You can do this by making statements such as, " I understand why you are upset." Or, "I cannot even imagine what you must be feeling, but that you so much for sharing with me."

Affective Communication: Also known as I-messages, these are powerful restorative tools that can be easily used in every classroom. These statements are done to connect the actions of your students to the impact they have on you. Affective statements require teachers to be willing to be honest and share their feelings. Affective statements follow simple formulas that can be used in every affective statement you make, "I feel/felt _____ when you _____." Another example is, "I would like/what I need is _____." The statement frames can be combined or used independently and might look like this, "I felt disappointed when I caught you cheating on the test. " Or,

"I felt sad yesterday when I found out you lied to me because I have always trusted you. I need you to trust me enough to be honest with me. " These questions tie the actions of an individual to the effect they had, something students often forget about.

Curiosity Questions: These are genuine questions you would ask someone to learn more about their situation. Imagine a student just does not seem to be having a good day. You can pull them aside and ask some curiosity questions to find out more. Simple questions like, "How are you doing today?" Or, "You seem kind of off today, is everything OK?" These questions help dive into an issue, but curiosity questions can also help resolve a conflict, "How did it make you feel when Tommy hit you?" or "What do you need Tommy to say to you to feel better?" These are just some very surface-level examples, but many more can be found online and in print resources.

Online Resources for Support Ashley McCall is a 3rd grade English/language arts educator at Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Back of the Yards (Chicago) where she serves as a teacher representative on the local school council. She is a Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship alumna and a member of the Teach Plus Board:
Many districts that are new to restorative practices are under the impression that it is a program to implement. It is not. Restorative practices are about shifting the mindsets and developing the capacity of stakeholders (students, families, teachers, administrators, receptionists, cafeteria staff, security staff, etc.) so they are invested in the culture and climate of the building and accept responsibility for maintaining a safe, enjoyable, and productive environment for all involved. When stakeholders are invested and properly trained, we are able to effectively sustain healthy school climates and respond effectively to breaches in our social contract.

If you are looking to shift toward more restorative practices in your school, you need buy-in across stakeholder groups. Consider how you (and a diverse group of stakeholders) will make a case for and create a sense of urgency around restorative practices at your school. Consider how you can use data as a reflective tool (rather than a tool for shaming and punishment) to drive conversations around the culture, climate, and current disciplinary practices.

Conflict-Resolution Sentence Starters As a career-long educator, Bryan Harris has served in a variety of roles from classroom teacher to district-level leader. Now working full time as a trainer, his work focuses on topics ranging from student engagement to teacher resiliency. Find out more at his website:
At the heart of restorative practices-in fact, it's right there in the name-is helping students learn how to repair and restore relationships after a conflict, hurt, offense, or fight.

The sad fact is that far too many of our students enter school without effective conflict-resolution skills. This includes the skill of recognizing when you've done harm to someone else and how to fix it. Notice that I didn't say that kids don't have any conflict-resolution skills. The fact is that they do-it's just that many of the skills and communication methods they've acquired are not healthy or productive.

So, as teachers and leaders, what do we do?

The first step is knowing that conflict is normal and cannot be fully avoided as long as you interact with other people. Once we help our students understand this very important idea, helping them develop and refine skills that communicate remorse is a great next step. In other words, teach them the power of an apology.

When students know how to sincerely offer and genuinely accept an apology, it serves as the foundation to restore broken relationships.

Have you ever seen something like this before?

Student A (we'll call them the offender) sheepishly walks over to Student B and says, "Sorry." They mumble the word under their breath while looking directly at the ground, arms folded the entire time.

Student B (we'll call them the victim) reluctantly says, "That's OK," while also looking at the ground and counting the seconds until they can run away.

In this all-too-common scenario, both students are likely embarrassed, and the conflict is not resolved. While some of the right words were used, Student A didn't truly apologize, and Student B didn't authentically accept it.

Imagine how different that interaction would be if students used specific words and phrases that communicate remorse for the offense and acceptance of an apology. It might sound like this:

Student A: "I am sorry for drawing that picture of you and showing it to your friends. I realize that made you feel sad. I promise I'll never do that again. Will you please forgive me?"

Student B: "Since you promised to never do that again, I accept your apology."

Notice the difference in the words. A great first place to start is by teaching students, by the use of sentence starters, which words are most effective at offering and accepting an apology. The following examples are great places to start:
How to Offer an Apology
* I apologize for ...

* It was my fault that _______ happened. I apologize for letting it happen.

* I realize that....

* I realize that _____ was my fault and I am sorry for making you feel ________.

* I am truly sorry that I did this. I want to make things better. Tell me how I can do that.
How to Accept an Apology
* I accept your apology. Make sure this does not happen again.

* Because I know you will not do this again, I accept your apology.

* I'll accept your apology because....

* Because you know that ______ was wrong, I accept your apology.

* Because you know that ______ hurt me, I can accept your apology.

Four Strategies for Promoting Restorative Practices
Kara Pranikoff is an elementary school teacher at a public school in New York City. Her book, Teaching Talk: A Practical Guide to Fostering Student Thinking and Conversation (Heinemann, 2017), shares many ways to keep the balance of classroom discussion in the hands of the students:

It was a beautiful springtime morning in New York. I walked into the yard to pick up my 2nd graders, and they swarmed to me, ready to begin our day.

Hudson stood atypically off to the side. Bending down to meet his eyes, I asked what was going on. "I don't want to talk about it now," he said quietly. "But may I give a public-service announcement when we get up to our room?"

"Public-service announcements" were statements that students needed to share with the rest of the community. Often these were messages that would increase our efficiency. (Can everyone place their jackets on hooks so that the space stays neat?) Or messages that would help us work better together. (Remember, we need to have a calmer science class so we can do our experiment.)

"I'd like to speak with everyone, even before we unpack," he requested. I was unsure about the content of his message, but it was clear that Hudson needed to begin our day.

Students entered the class, placed backpacks at their tables, and moved directly onto the rug. Hudson took a seat in the front corner of our meeting area, and I settled onto the bench in-between his peers.

"I'm feeling a little sad today," he began. "I just want everyone to know that last night my great-grandmother died. I want everyone to know that I might not want to play very much today."

The class responded with care. Some had questions that were typical of 2nd graders trying to get the literal facts: How old was she? How did she die? Then Hunter, Hudson's closest friend, raised her hand. "How can we help you feel better?" she wanted to know.

Restorative practices are essential for a community to care for each other and grow together. Our best learning happens when we feel safe and secure. This priority requires attention each day in order to bring together an entire classroom of diverse students.

The tools which enabled the students to listen and support Hudson in his time of need were put in place in the fall-nurtured and practiced each day-so that by springtime they could be used, with independence. Here are some essential ways to develop these habits of mind:

Have discussion in circle every day

It's said that one way to achieve closeness with others is to eat with them. It's not just the literal nourishment but the connection which is fostered by close physical proximity. The classroom equivalent is to set aside a space where the whole community can gather and face each other in a circle. This creates an area of inclusion where students can share their thoughts and ideas.
Make space for students to speak and respond to each other independently
Students' ownership of their shared space requires the ability for them to express their thoughts freely. Speaking in partnership or small groups can be woven into every day so that sharing and building ideas, independent of the teacher, is a regular practice.
Invite the lives of your students into the classroom
Restorative practice honors the full being of each student. For this to happen, students must have the freedom to share what is on their mind. We must embrace the child as a whole, enabling them to express the joys that happen both inside and outside of school, as well as the struggles.

Begin your day together

Each day we transition from our home space with family to our classroom community. By gathering as a whole class first thing every morning, we make a commitment to welcome our day together. We can set our intentions and get our minds ready for what is coming ahead in our shared learning.

Thanks to Sheila, Maurice, Timothy, Ashley, Bryan, and Kara for their contributions.

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. Look for Part Two in a few days.

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Ways to Implement Restorative Practices in the Classroom (Opinion)

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Educators share their practical experience implementing restorative practices in their schools, such as holding goal-setting conferences with students and teaching them "the power of an apology."

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As the scrutiny over "zero tolerance" discipline policies has intensified over the past decade, more school districts across the country have been looking at alternatives. Alternatives that don't push out an excessive number of students, don't create wide racial disparity gaps, and that overall foster a more inclusive and constructive learning environment.

To many, the answer has been restorative practices. Learn more about restorative practices and incorporate them into the classroom with our resources below.

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As the scrutiny over "zero tolerance" discipline policies has intensified over the past decade, more school districts across the country have been looking at alternatives. Alternatives that don't push out an excessive number of students, don't create wide racial disparity gaps, and that overall foster a more inclusive and constructive learning environment.

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We believe that human beings are instilled with the need to connect and grow with each other, but not the methods. Here at the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), we provide our students with the tools they need to effect change within their own lives as well as their schools, their organizations, and their communities. Through intimate learning communities of faculty and students, we teach together, we learn together, and we strive to effect real change. Together.

Restorative practices is a field within the social sciences that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. Learn more

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IIRP Graduate School :: Institute for Restorative Practices

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The International Institute for Restorative Practices is the world's first accredited graduate school that specializes in studying the field of restorative practices, providing education, research, and consulting services.

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Mona Toncheff, an education consultant and author, worked as both a mathematics teacher and a mathematics specialist for the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona.

Change is messy. Change is hard. Change is unpredictable.

These are the types of phrases I have heard over the past few months as educators around the globe prepared for several changes to the school day and instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, in reality, these statements reflect how change is felt and dealt with at any time.

Whether the change is in a revamped bell schedule, or reflects a school shift from teachers working autonomously to collaboratively and taking collective ownership for student learning, I've learned that change is messy, hard, and unpredictable. So, when change is needed to improve the learning of every student, who leads the effort, especially when the pandemic is throwing so much change at educators every day?

During this unprecedented time, intentional work leading change is crucial. One person alone cannot solely lead an entire school to become a professional learning community. Therefore, it is important to foster a shared leadership model-a guiding coalition-to identify and support any needed changes. Dufour et. al. (2016) defines a guiding coalition or leadership team:

"A guiding coalition is a district or school leadership team designed to be an integral component of leading, inspiring, and supporting the change process to becoming a professional learning community."

In her book, Dare to Lead, Brené Brown, (2018) states, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind" (p. 44). How can a guiding coalition provide clarity on the team actions needed to support improved student learning? A guiding coalition coordinates the school's effort to implement the PLC process, which monitors and supports the work of the collaborative teams.

One of the primary roles of the leadership team is to clearly articulate the work of teams, as well as what that looks like and sounds like for all team members (Kramer, Schuhl, 2017). The guiding coalition provides clarity on how collaborative teams answer the four critical questions for student learning:

1. What are students supposed to know and do?

2. How will we know when students have learned it?

3. What will we do when students haven't learned it?

4. What will we do when students already know it? (Dufour, et. al., 2006, 2010, 2016).

The guiding coalition can do this by answering the four critical questions, but in relation to teams. Consider the following revised critical questions:

1. What do we expect teams to know and be able to do?

2. How will we know if teams have learned it and can do it?

3. How will we respond when some teams need additional support?

4. How will we stretch teams to continue deepening practices that ensure the learning of every student?

A reflection tool from Learning By Doing that a guiding coalition can use to provide clarity on the right work is the Critical Issues for Team Consideration. This tool clearly articulates what team actions are expected to complete and provides an opportunity to self-assess and monitor their collaborative progress (Dufour, et. al., 2006, 2010, 2016).

As I began to work with guiding coalition teams, I found that modeling how to use the Critical Issues for Team Consideration as a reflection tool was an important first step. I adapted the tool to address the essential actions that guiding coalition teams need to take to monitor and support the work of the collaborative teams.

The guiding coalition can complete the reflection tool individually, and then as a team compare the results to identify possible next steps. For example, one of the teams I met with this year completed the reflection and noticed that the team members had a variety of responses from the following statement:

"We have developed strategies and systems to support teams with developing a collective response to student learning and responding to students who are or are not proficient on the essential standards."

After they discussed the variances, they came to realize that essential standards were selected for mathematics and English, but the other content areas were not consistent with selecting and monitoring essential standards. Thus, the guiding coalition created two intentional action steps for the 2020-2021 school year to move the other content teams forward with creating a collective response to student learning around essential standards.

Which critical issues are your teams addressing? How is your guiding coalition monitoring the work of teams and leading teams to effectively answer the four critical PLC questions? What are the roadblocks your guiding coalition needs to remove so teams can be successful improving the learning of every student?

Change is messy, Change is hard. Change is unpredictable. But change is doable with focused and intentional leadership. Consider how your guiding coalition can clarify the work ahead for collaborative teams and provide the support needed along the way.

References

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. New York, NY: Random House.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. W., & Mattos, M. (2016). Learning by doing: A handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (3rd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press

Kramer, S. V., & Schuhl, S. (2017). School improvement for all: A how-to guide for doing the right work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press

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Mona Toncheff, an education consultant and author, worked as both a mathematics teacher and a mathematics specialist for the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona. Change is messy. Change is hard. Change is unpredictable.

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The Idea in Brief

Why do so many transformation efforts produce only middling results? One overarching reason is that leaders typically fail to acknowledge that large-scale change can take years. Moreover, a successful change process goes through a series of eight distinct stages. These stages should be worked through in sequence. Skipping steps to try to accelerate the process invariably causes problems. And since the success of a given stage depends on the work done in prior stages, a critical mistake in any of the stages can have a devastating impact.

The eight stages are:

1. Establishing a sense of urgency

2. Forming a powerful guiding coalition

3. Creating a vision

4. Communicating the vision

5. Empowering others to act on the vision

6. Planning for and creating short-term wins

7. Consolidating improvements and producing still more change

8. Institutionalizing new approaches

The Idea in Practice

For each of the stages in a change process, there is a corresponding pitfall.

1. Not establishing a great enough sense of urgency. Half of all change efforts fail at the start. When is the urgency rate high enough? When 75% of management is genuinely convinced that the status quo is, in the words of the CEO of a European company, "more dangerous than launching into the unknown."

2. Not creating a powerful enough guiding coalition. In successful transformation efforts, the chairman or president or general manager of the division, plus another five to 50 others-including many, but not all, of the most influential people in the unit- develop a shared commitment to renewal.

3. Lacking a vision. Without a coherent and sensible vision, a change effort dissolves into a list of confusing and incompatible projects. If you can't communicate the vision in five minutes or less and get a reaction that indicates both understanding and interest, your work in this stage isn't done.

4. Undercommunicating the vision by a factor of ten. Use every existing communication vehicle to get the vision out. Incorporate the vision into routine discussions about business problems.

5. Not removing obstacles to the new vision. Renewal requires the removal of obstacles- systemic or human-to the vision. One company's transformation ground to a halt because the executive in charge of the largest division didn't change his own behavior, didn't reward the unconventional ideas called for in the vision, and left the human resource systems intact even though they were incompatible with the new ideals.

6. Not systematically planning for and creating short-term wins. Clearly recognizable victories within the first year or two of a change effort help convince doubters that the change effort is going to be worth all the trouble.

7. Declaring victory too soon. At this stage, it's fine to celebrate a short-term win, but it's catastrophic to declare the war over.

8. Not anchoring changes in the corporation's culture. If they are to stick, new behaviors must be rooted in the social norms and shared values of a corporation. To accomplish this, make a conscious attempt to show people that the new behaviors and approaches have improved performance. Also, make sure that the next generation of top management embodies the new approach.

Over the past decade, I have watched more than 100 companies try to remake themselves into significantly better competitors. They have included large organizations (Ford) and small ones (Landmark Communications), companies based in the United States (General Motors) and elsewhere (British Airways), corporations that were on their knees (Eastern Airlines), and companies that were earning good money (Bristol-Myers Squibb). These efforts have gone under many banners: total quality management, reengineering, right sizing, restructuring, cultural change, and turnaround. But, in almost every case, the basic goal has been the same: to make fundamental changes in how business is conducted in order to help cope with a new, more challenging market environment.

A few of these corporate change efforts have been very successful. A few have been utter failures. Most fall somewhere in between, with a distinct tilt toward the lower end of the scale. The lessons that can be drawn are interesting and will probably be relevant to even more organizations in the increasingly competitive business environment of the coming decade.

1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency

Examining market and competitive realities

Identifying and discussing crises, potential crises, or major opportunities

2. Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition

Assembling a group with enough power to lead the change effort

Encouraging the group to work together as a team

3. Creating a vision

Creating a vision to help direct the change effort

Developing strategies for achieving that vision

4. Communicating the Vision

Using every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies

Teaching new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition

5. Empowering Others to Act on the Vision

Getting rid of obstacles to change

Changing systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision

Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions

6. Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins

Planning for visible performance improvements

Creating those improvements

Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the improvements

7. Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change

Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don't fit the vision

Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can implement the vision

Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents

8. Institutionalizing New Approaches

Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success

Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession

The most general lesson to be learned from the more successful cases is that the change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result. A second very general lesson is that critical mistakes in any of the phases can have a devastating impact, slowing momentum and negating hard-won gains. Perhaps because we have relatively little experience in renewing organizations, even very capable people often make at least one big error.

Most successful change efforts begin when some individuals or some groups start to look hard at a company's competitive situation, market position, technological trends, and financial performance. They focus on the potential revenue drop when an important patent expires, the five-year trend in declining margins in a core business, or an emerging market that everyone seems to be ignoring. They then find ways to communicate this information broadly and dramatically, especially with respect to crises, potential crises, or great opportunities that are very timely. This first step is essential because just getting a transformation program started requires the aggressive cooperation of many individuals. Without motivation, people won't help and the effort goes nowhere.

Compared with other steps in the change process, phase one can sound easy. It is not. Well over 50% of the companies I have watched fail in this first phase. What are the reasons for that failure? Sometimes executives underestimate how hard it can be to drive people out of their comfort zones. Sometimes they grossly overestimate how successful they have already been in increasing urgency. Sometimes they lack patience: "Enough with the preliminaries; let's get on with it." In many cases, executives become paralyzed by the downside possibilities. They worry that employees with seniority will become defensive, that morale will drop, that events will spin out of control, that short-term business results will be jeopardized, that the stock will sink, and that they will be blamed for creating a crisis.

A paralyzed senior management often comes from having too many managers and not enough leaders. Management's mandate is to minimize risk and to keep the current system operating. Change, by definition, requires creating a new system, which in turn always demands leadership. Phase one in a renewal process typically goes nowhere until enough real leaders are promoted or hired into senior-level jobs.

Transformations often begin, and begin well, when an organization has a new head who is a good leader and who sees the need for a major change. If the renewal target is the entire company, the CEO is key. If change is needed in a division, the division general manager is key. When these individuals are not new leaders, great leaders, or change champions, phase one can be a huge challenge.

Bad business results are both a blessing and a curse in the first phase. On the positive side, losing money does catch people's attention. But it also gives less maneuvering room. With good business results, the opposite is true: convincing people of the need for change is much harder, but you have more resources to help make changes.

But whether the starting point is good performance or bad, in the more successful cases I have witnessed, an individual or a group always facilitates a frank discussion of potentially unpleasant facts: about new competition, shrinking margins, decreasing market share, flat earnings, a lack of revenue growth, or other relevant indices of a declining competitive position. Because there seems to be an almost universal human tendency to shoot the bearer of bad news, especially if the head of the organization is not a change champion, executives in these companies often rely on outsiders to bring unwanted information. Wall Street analysts, customers, and consultants can all be helpful in this regard. The purpose of all this activity, in the words of one former CEO of a large European company, is "to make the status quo seem more dangerous than launching into the unknown."

In a few of the most successful cases, a group has manufactured a crisis. One CEO deliberately engineered the largest accounting loss in the company's history, creating huge pressures from Wall Street in the process. One division president commissioned first-ever customer-satisfaction surveys, knowing full well that the results would be terrible. He then made these findings public. On the surface, such moves can look unduly risky. But there is also risk in playing it too safe: when the urgency rate is not pumped up enough, the transformation process cannot succeed and the long-term future of the organization is put in jeopardy.

When is the urgency rate high enough? From what I have seen, the answer is when about 75% of a company's management is honestly convinced that business-as-usual is totally unacceptable. Anything less can produce very serious problems later on in the process.

Major renewal programs often start with just one or two people. In cases of successful transformation efforts, the leadership coalition grows and grows over time. But whenever some minimum mass is not achieved early in the effort, nothing much worthwhile happens.

It is often said that major change is impossible unless the head of the organization is an active supporter. What I am talking about goes far beyond that. In successful transformations, the chairman or president or division general manager, plus another 5 or 15 or 50 people, come together and develop a shared commitment to excellent performance through renewal. In my experience, this group never includes all of the company's most senior executives because some people just won't buy in, at least not at first. But in the most successful cases, the coalition is always pretty powerful-in terms of titles, information and expertise, reputations and relationships.

In both small and large organizations, a successful guiding team may consist of only three to five people during the first year of a renewal effort. But in big companies, the coalition needs to grow to the 20 to 50 range before much progress can be made in phase three and beyond. Senior managers always form the core of the group. But sometimes you find board members, a representative from a key customer, or even a powerful union leader.

Because the guiding coalition includes members who are not part of senior management, it tends to operate outside of the normal hierarchy by definition. This can be awkward, but it is clearly necessary. If the existing hierarchy were working well, there would be no need for a major transformation. But since the current system is not working, reform generally demands activity outside of formal boundaries, expectations, and protocol.

A high sense of urgency within the managerial ranks helps enormously in putting a guiding coalition together. But more is usually required. Someone needs to get these people together, help them develop a shared assessment of their company's problems and opportunities, and create a minimum level of trust and communication. Off-site retreats, for two or three days, are one popular vehicle for accomplishing this task. I have seen many groups of 5 to 35 executives attend a series of these retreats over a period of months.

Companies that fail in phase two usually underestimate the difficulties of producing change and thus the importance of a powerful guiding coalition. Sometimes they have no history of teamwork at the top and therefore undervalue the importance of this type of coalition. Sometimes they expect the team to be led by a staff executive from human resources, quality, or strategic planning instead of a key line manager. No matter how capable or dedicated the staff head, groups without strong line leadership never achieve the power that is required.

Efforts that don't have a powerful enough guiding coalition can make apparent progress for a while. But, sooner or later, the opposition gathers itself together and stops the change.

In every successful transformation effort that I have seen, the guiding coalition develops a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, stockholders, and employees. A vision always goes beyond the numbers that are typically found in five-year plans. A vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move. Sometimes the first draft comes mostly from a single individual. It is usually a bit blurry, at least initially. But after the coalition works at it for 3 or 5 or even 12 months, something much better emerges through their tough analytical thinking and a little dreaming. Eventually, a strategy for achieving that vision is also developed.

In one midsize European company, the first pass at a vision contained two-thirds of the basic ideas that were in the final product. The concept of global reach was in the initial version from the beginning. So was the idea of becoming preeminent in certain businesses. But one central idea in the final version-getting out of low value-added activities-came only after a series of discussions over a period of several months.

Without a sensible vision, a transformation effort can easily dissolve into a list of confusing and incompatible projects that can take the organization in the wrong direction or nowhere at all. Without a sound vision, the reengineering project in the accounting department, the new 360-degree performance appraisal from the human resources department, the plant's quality program, the cultural change project in the sales force will not add up in a meaningful way.

In failed transformations, you often find plenty of plans and directives and programs, but no vision. In one case, a company gave out four-inch-thick notebooks describing its change effort. In mind-numbing detail, the books spelled out procedures, goals, methods, and deadlines. But nowhere was there a clear and compelling statement of where all this was leading. Not surprisingly, most of the employees with whom I talked were either confused or alienated. The big, thick books did not rally them together or inspire change. In fact, they probably had just the opposite effect.

In a few of the less successful cases that I have seen, management had a sense of direction, but it was too complicated or blurry to be useful. Recently, I asked an executive in a midsize company to describe his vision and received in return a barely comprehensible 30-minute lecture. Buried in his answer were the basic elements of a sound vision. But they were buried-deeply.

A useful rule of thumb: if you can't communicate the vision to someone in five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies both understanding and interest, you are not yet done with this phase of the transformation process.

I've seen three patterns with respect to communication, all very common. In the first, a group actually does develop a pretty good transformation vision and then proceeds to communicate it by holding a single meeting or sending out a single communication. Having used about .0001% of the yearly intracompany communication, the group is startled that few people seem to understand the new approach. In the second pattern, the head of the organization spends a considerable amount of time making speeches to employee groups, but most people still don't get it (not surprising, since vision captures only .0005% of the total yearly communication). In the third pattern, much more effort goes into newsletters and speeches, but some very visible senior executives still behave in ways that are antithetical to the vision. The net result is that cynicism among the troops goes up, while belief in the communication goes down.

Transformation is impossible unless hundreds or thousands of people are willing to help, often to the point of making short-term sacrifices. Employees will not make sacrifices, even if they are unhappy with the status quo, unless they believe that useful change is possible. Without credible communication, and a lot of it, the hearts and minds of the troops are never captured.

This fourth phase is particularly challenging if the short-term sacrifices include job losses. Gaining understanding and support is tough when downsizing is a part of the vision. For this reason, successful visions usually include new growth possibilities and the commitment to treat fairly anyone who is laid off.

Executives who communicate well incorporate messages into their hour-by-hour activities. In a routine discussion about a business problem, they talk about how proposed solutions fit (or don't fit) into the bigger picture. In a regular performance appraisal, they talk about how the employee's behavior helps or undermines the vision. In a review of a division's quarterly performance, they talk not only about the numbers but also about how the division's executives are contributing to the transformation. In a routine Q&A with employees at a company facility, they tie their answers back to renewal goals.

In more successful transformation efforts, executives use all existing communication channels to broadcast the vision. They turn boring and unread company newsletters into lively articles about the vision. They take ritualistic and tedious quarterly management meetings and turn them into exciting discussions of the transformation. They throw out much of the company's generic management education and replace it with courses that focus on business problems and the new vision. The guiding principle is simple: use every possible channel, especially those that are being wasted on nonessential information.

Perhaps even more important, most of the executives I have known in successful cases of major change learn to "walk the talk." They consciously attempt to become a living symbol of the new corporate culture. This is often not easy. A 60-year-old plant manager who has spent precious little time over 40 years thinking about customers will not suddenly behave in a customer-oriented way. But I have witnessed just such a person change, and change a great deal. In that case, a high level of urgency helped. The fact that the man was a part of the guiding coalition and the vision-creation team also helped. So did all the communication, which kept reminding him of the desired behavior, and all the feedback from his peers and subordinates, which helped him see when he was not engaging in that behavior.

Communication comes in both words and deeds, and the latter are often the most powerful form. Nothing undermines change more than behavior by important individuals that is inconsistent with their words.

Successful transformations begin to involve large numbers of people as the process progresses. Employees are emboldened to try new approaches, to develop new ideas, and to provide leadership. The only constraint is that the actions fit within the broad parameters of the overall vision. The more people involved, the better the outcome.

To some degree, a guiding coalition empowers others to take action simply by successfully communicating the new direction. But communication is never sufficient by itself. Renewal also requires the removal of obstacles. Too often, an employee understands the new vision and wants to help make it happen. But an elephant appears to be blocking the path. In some cases, the elephant is in the person's head, and the challenge is to convince the individual that no external obstacle exists. But in most cases, the blockers are very real.

Sometimes the obstacle is the organizational structure: narrow job categories can seriously undermine efforts to increase productivity or make it very difficult even to think about customers. Sometimes compensation or performance-appraisal systems make people choose between the new vision and their own self-interest. Perhaps worst of all are bosses who refuse to change and who make demands that are inconsistent with the overall effort.

One company began its transformation process with much publicity and actually made good progress through the fourth phase. Then the change effort ground to a halt because the officer in charge of the company's largest division was allowed to undermine most of the new initiatives. He paid lip service to the process but did not change his behavior or encourage his managers to change. He did not reward the unconventional ideas called for in the vision. He allowed human resource systems to remain intact even when they were clearly inconsistent with the new ideals. I think the officer's motives were complex. To some degree, he did not believe the company needed major change. To some degree, he felt personally threatened by all the change. To some degree, he was afraid that he could not produce both change and the expected operating profit. But despite the fact that they backed the renewal effort, the other officers did virtually nothing to stop the one blocker. Again, the reasons were complex. The company had no history of confronting problems like this. Some people were afraid of the officer. The CEO was concerned that he might lose a talented executive. The net result was disastrous. Lower level managers concluded that senior management had lied to them about their commitment to renewal, cynicism grew, and the whole effort collapsed.

In the first half of a transformation, no organization has the momentum, power, or time to get rid of all obstacles. But the big ones must be confronted and removed. If the blocker is a person, it is important that he or she be treated fairly and in a way that is consistent with the new vision. But action is essential, both to empower others and to maintain the credibility of the change effort as a whole.

Real transformation takes time, and a renewal effort risks losing momentum if there are no short-term goals to meet and celebrate. Most people won't go on the long march unless they see compelling evidence within 12 to 24 months that the journey is producing expected results. Without short-term wins, too many people give up or actively join the ranks of those people who have been resisting change.

One to two years into a successful transformation effort, you find quality beginning to go up on certain indices or the decline in net income stopping. You find some successful new product introductions or an upward shift in market share. You find an impressive productivity improvement or a statistically higher customer-satisfaction rating. But whatever the case, the win is unambiguous. The result is not just a judgment call that can be discounted by those opposing change.

Creating short-term wins is different from hoping for short-term wins. The latter is passive, the former active. In a successful transformation, managers actively look for ways to obtain clear performance improvements, establish goals in the yearly planning system, achieve the objectives, and reward the people involved with recognition, promotions, and even money. For example, the guiding coalition at a U.S. manufacturing company produced a highly visible and successful new product introduction about 20 months after the start of its renewal effort. The new product was selected about six months into the effort because it met multiple criteria: it could be designed and launched in a relatively short period; it could be handled by a small team of people who were devoted to the new vision; it had upside potential; and the new product-development team could operate outside the established departmental structure without practical problems. Little was left to chance, and the win boosted the credibility of the renewal process.

Managers often complain about being forced to produce short-term wins, but I've found that pressure can be a useful element in a change effort. When it becomes clear to people that major change will take a long time, urgency levels can drop. Commitments to produce short-term wins help keep the urgency level up and force detailed analytical thinking that can clarify or revise visions.

After a few years of hard work, managers may be tempted to declare victory with the first clear performance improvement. While celebrating a win is fine, declaring the war won can be catastrophic. Until changes sink deeply into a company's culture, a process that can take five to ten years, new approaches are fragile and subject to regression.

In the recent past, I have watched a dozen change efforts operate under the reengineering theme. In all but two cases, victory was declared and the expensive consultants were paid and thanked when the first major project was completed after two to three years. Within two more years, the useful changes that had been introduced slowly disappeared. In two of the ten cases, it's hard to find any trace of the reengineering work today.

Over the past 20 years, I've seen the same sort of thing happen to huge quality projects, organizational development efforts, and more. Typically, the problems start early in the process: the urgency level is not intense enough, the guiding coalition is not powerful enough, and the vision is not clear enough. But it is the premature victory celebration that kills momentum. And then the powerful forces associated with tradition take over.

Ironically, it is often a combination of change initiators and change resistors that creates the premature victory celebration. In their enthusiasm over a clear sign of progress, the initiators go overboard. They are then joined by resistors, who are quick to spot any opportunity to stop change. After the celebration is over, the resistors point to the victory as a sign that the war has been won and the troops should be sent home. Weary troops allow themselves to be convinced that they won. Once home, the foot soldiers are reluctant to climb back on the ships. Soon thereafter, change comes to a halt, and tradition creeps back in.

Instead of declaring victory, leaders of successful efforts use the credibility afforded by short-term wins to tackle even bigger problems. They go after systems and structures that are not consistent with the transformation vision and have not been confronted before. They pay great attention to who is promoted, who is hired, and how people are developed. They include new reengineering projects that are even bigger in scope than the initial ones. They understand that renewal efforts take not months but years. In fact, in one of the most successful transformations that I have ever seen, we quantified the amount of change that occurred each year over a seven-year period. On a scale of one (low) to ten (high), year one received a two, year two a four, year three a three, year four a seven, year five an eight, year six a four, and year seven a two. The peak came in year five, fully 36 months after the first set of visible wins.

In the final analysis, change sticks when it becomes "the way we do things around here," when it seeps into the bloodstream of the corporate body. Until new behaviors are rooted in social norms and shared values, they are subject to degradation as soon as the pressure for change is removed.

Two factors are particularly important in institutionalizing change in corporate culture. The first is a conscious attempt to show people how the new approaches, behaviors, and attitudes have helped improve performance. When people are left on their own to make the connections, they sometimes create very inaccurate links. For example, because results improved while charismatic Harry was boss, the troops link his mostly idiosyncratic style with those results instead of seeing how their own improved customer service and productivity were instrumental. Helping people see the right connections requires communication. Indeed, one company was relentless, and it paid off enormously. Time was spent at every major management meeting to discuss why performance was increasing. The company newspaper ran article after article showing how changes had boosted earnings.

The second factor is taking sufficient time to make sure that the next generation of top management really does personify the new approach. If the requirements for promotion don't change, renewal rarely lasts. One bad succession decision at the top of an organization can undermine a decade of hard work. Poor succession decisions are possible when boards of directors are not an integral part of the renewal effort. In at least three instances I have seen, the champion for change was the retiring executive, and although his successor was not a resistor, he was not a change champion. Because the boards did not understand the transformations in any detail, they could not see that their choices were not good fits. The retiring executive in one case tried unsuccessfully to talk his board into a less seasoned candidate who better personified the transformation. In the other two cases, the CEOs did not resist the boards' choices, because they felt the transformation could not be undone by their successors. They were wrong. Within two years, signs of renewal began to disappear at both companies.

. . .

There are still more mistakes that people make, but these eight are the big ones. I realize that in a short article everything is made to sound a bit too simplistic. In reality, even successful change efforts are messy and full of surprises. But just as a relatively simple vision is needed to guide people through a major change, so a vision of the change process can reduce the error rate. And fewer errors can spell the difference between success and failure.

A version of this article appeared in the May-June 1995 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail

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In the past decade, the author has watched more than 100 companies try to remake themselves into better competitors. Their efforts have gone under many banners: total quality management, reengineering, right sizing, restructuring, cultural change, and turnarounds. In almost every case, the goal has been the same: to cope with a new, more challenging market by changing how business is conducted.

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In recent months, an increasing number of schools and social work settings have been adopting a new behaviour model. This model - restorative practice - encourages people to take responsibility for their actions, and repair any harm that they have caused. Its use has been found to reduce behaviour problems, improve achievement levels, and develop emotional literacy. As a result, it is beneficial to understand what this model is, and how you could use it.

In this article, we will outline what restorative practice is, how it works, and what restorative approaches in schools and social work settings may look like.

What Does Restorative Practice Mean?

Restorative practice - which you might also know as 'positive discipline', 'the responsive classroom', or 'empowerment' - is a strategy that seeks to repair any harm done to people, and relationships that have been damaged. Rather than simply punishing an 'offender', it aims to make them take responsibility for their actions, be aware of the consequences they have caused, and feel remorseful.

This is done through meetings with people who have been affected by their actions, who explain the impact that they have had. From the victim's perspective, these meetings can help them to forgive, move on, and reconcile with the offender.

The practice is based on the idea that dignity, healing, and strengthening a community should be considered when attempting to bring someone to justice. This idea dates back centuries - it can be found in aboriginal teachings and several different faiths. The questions that restorative practice seeks to answer are: 'Who has been harmed?', 'What are their needs?', 'Whose obligations are these?', and 'How do we collectively work to put things right?' (Zehr, 2002).

The focus is not on punishment, because punishment is often not enough to deter people from crime or misbehaviour - if it was, these things would not be so prevalent. People also need to learn about the responsibility that they have had in a situation, how it affected other people, and how they can put it right.

It has been found that the restorative approach is extremely effective. Its aim to work with people, rather than doing things to or for them, leads to them feeling heard and involved. As a result, they are more likely to make positive changes in their behaviour. This leads to a reduced likelihood of reoffending, and thus a decrease in crime, violence, and bullying.

The positive results have caused restorative practice to be adopted worldwide, in many different fields. These include criminal justice, organisational leadership, social work, counselling, youth services, and education.

How Does Restorative Practice Work?

Restorative practice is built on a number of key principles that are supported by research. These principles are as follows.

1. Relationships are central to building a community

Studies such as Nathanson (1998) have found that in order to have a good community, we need to sustain positive relationships. This means repairing any harm that has been done, and ensuring that it does not occur again in the future.

2. Everyone's voices should be heard and valued

Human relationships are healthiest when we express our emotions freely, which reduces the intensity of feelings (Tomkins, 1962, 1963, 1991). We need to have an opportunity to say when something affects us, but we also need to listen to the 'offender'. Their opinion is unique and still of value; in the words of Morrison (2002), we should "make it clear that the behaviour is not condoned, but at the same time as being supportive and respectful of the individual".

To put it another way, a person should be separated from their behaviour. Doing so acknowledges that the 'offender' may have unmet needs, and these needs are the reason behind their behaviour. Listening and solving the problem ensures that the incident does not reoccur. It also leaves the 'offender' with self-respect, dignity, and a sense of belonging in the community.

3. To minimise misbehaviour and crime, you should repair the harm caused, not just punish people for breaking rules

Repairing harm and relationships prevents future harm, as well as restoring trust and strengthening the community.

4. Problem-solving should be collaborative

To make the whole community feel involved and positively motivated, let them all participate. Everyone should discuss the problematic situation that has arisen, and decide on a fair solution. Thinking through the event - including what was right or wrong, and how it could have been handled differently - teaches the 'offender' what they should do in future. Consequences that you decide on should be based on the unmet needs of both 'offender' and 'victim'. They should be reasonable, respectful, and related to the offence.

5. Accountability and responsibility lead to change and growth

Learning and understanding the impact of your actions, determining how to fix them, and actually following through with this plan leads to positive self-growth. This process makes the offender feel remorseful, which reduces the likelihood of reoffending.

These principles are applied in practice using different restorative approaches. All of these approaches are centred around restorative language - a shift in the way that we think and speak.

Instead of using retributive language (i.e. language that attributes blame, judgement, or criticism, such as 'he is rude', 'she did it on purpose', and 'what have you done?'), we should use language that shows an understanding of the potential needs of the person we are speaking about. Questions such as 'what's happened?' and 'who's been harmed?' acknowledge to the 'offender' that there may have been a reason behind their actions.
A full list of restorative question for the 'offender' include:

'What happened?'

'What were you thinking about at the time?'

'What have you thought about since?'

'Who has been affected by what happened, and how?'

'How could things have been done differently?'

'What do you think you need to do to make things right?'

For the 'victim', these include:

'What did you think when you realised what happened?'

'What impact has the incident had on you and others?'

'What has been the hardest thing for you?'

'What do you think needs to happen to make things right?'

Before you respond to an incident, think about the benefits and risks that each possible response has. If your approach will not help the person to learn from their mistake and avoid it in the future, then it is not restorative and you should try to reconsider your strategy.

After everyone has agreed on a fair solution, the agreement is written down and signed. This allows you to refer back later, and check that it is being carried out as you decided.

Restorative Approaches

In the previous section, we mentioned that there are different types of restorative approaches, all centred around restorative language and attitudes. These approaches include:

Circles

Circles are informal discussions where everyone sits in a circle. These are a good approach to use for ensuring a safe, equal environment - there is no hierarchy in a circle. They allow everyone to have an opportunity to speak and be listened to; one person speaks at a time, with no interruptions, and the opportunity to talk moves around the circle. This can occur sequentially or non-sequentially, as you prefer. It may be helpful to use a talking piece (for example, a small object) to facilitate this process. Circles don't follow a script, but you may still wish to ask restorative questions, like the ones above.

Restorative Conferences

Restorative conferences are formal, structured meetings. Everyone who is going to attend should prepare in advance. Attendees might only include the people involved in the event and an impartial person (the 'facilitator'). However, you could also hold a 'community conference', where supportive third parties (such as friends, families, and any other necessary community figures) can attend, to address their concerns about the event in the wider community.

In any case, the facilitator should think carefully about the venue, time, date, and seating plan beforehand. You also need to consider the order that people will speak in, and which questions to ask.
Key questions that should always be asked are:

'What happened?' Allow everyone to tell the whole story from their point of view.

'What were you thinking when ...?' Take the person back to each point in the story to clarify this.

'How were you feeling when ...?'

'Who has been affected? How?' Think deeply about the wider effects, as well as the obvious ones.

'What do you need to move forward?' Everyone should agree on a fair solution which meets the needs of those involved, and helps them to move on - besides ensuring that a similar event will not happen again.

As with circles, there should be no interruptions when someone is talking in a restorative conference. At the end of the conference, the agreement that you have come to should be written down. You might wish to supply refreshments to solidify the repairing of relationships and add a social aspect (Russell, 2015).

In the next section, we will look at how these general restorative formats can be applied in schools and social work settings.

Restorative Approaches in Schools

Incidents of Bullying

In the classroom, one key area where a restorative approach might be effective is when addressing incidents of bullying. These situations are complex - while many people believe that bullies require punishment, this can be ineffective, or make the situation worse. Bullies might become resentful of the punishment, rather than understanding why they have been given it. Additionally, those who bully often have unmet needs themselves (as do many children who misbehave). They might be using their actions to convey their feelings, rather than words. In order to truly solve the problem, we need to recognise these needs, and discuss how to satisfy them.

In these cases, you could choose to have a small meeting with only those students who are directly involved. However, you might choose to include the whole class in a circle or conference. You should ask the bully to describe what happened, and think about what harm has been done. Then, ask the victim how they have been affected, and what would put things right. Remember not to alienate the bully, or make any generalised remarks about them as a person; it is only their actions at that point that should be discussed.

As mentioned in the previous section, everyone should agree with the proposed solution - including the bully - and should discuss how to prevent something similar from happening again in the future. Afterwards, you should monitor the situation; if it does not improve, you may need to intervene again.

Arguments in the Playground

You could also use restorative approaches in other situations of conflict, instances of disruptive behaviour, or friendship issues. For example, if two students had an argument in the playground, the teacher could help them think about the situation using restorative questions:

What happened? - 'I told Emily that I don't want to be friends with her any more.'

What were you thinking and feeling when you did that? - 'I was angry that she wouldn't play the game I wanted to play.'

What have you thought about since? - 'I am upset that she never wants to play what I want to play, but I didn't mean to make her cry.'

Who has been affected by what happened, and how? - 'Emily got upset and started crying, and she sat on her own for the rest of break time.'

How could things have been done differently? - 'I could have told Emily that I really wanted to play that game and we could play hers afterwards, or found somebody else to play with.'

What do you think you need to do to make things right? - 'I should say sorry to Emily and try not to say anything mean next time, even if she doesn't want to play.'

Emily would then be asked restorative questions, such as how the incident made her feel and what her part in it was.

Alternatives to Exclusion

Restorative conferences could also be used as an alternative to exclusion (Russell, 2015). This is by no means a 'soft option' - having to face up to a group of people that you have affected is much more difficult than simply avoiding confrontation through being excluded (Thorsborne & Vinegrad, 2002).

Traditional methods of discipline can also be counterproductive; for example, sending a child out of the room for being disruptive in a lesson that they don't like gives them what they want - a way out of the lesson. It is better to make the child think about why they behave in that way, what the underlying problem is, and how it can be solved.

Additionally, even if a serious incident occurs, and you have to give the student a formal punishment, consider having a restorative conversation as well. This helps the child better understand how they have affected others.

General Classroom Use

Restorative practice also has a place in informal comments that you make in the classroom. For example, you could make an affective statement ('when you disrupt the class, I feel disappointed') or ask an affective question ('who do you think has been affected by what you just did? How do you think they've been affected?'). This allows the student to think about their behaviour, and change it in the future (Morrison, 2003).

Through modelling restorative language, you can teach your students to express their feelings, and to be aware of others' needs. Moreover, the more informal practices you use, the less you will need to perform time-consuming formal restorative practices.

Finally, you could consider giving your students the opportunity to act as peer mediators. Peer mediators help younger children in the school to resolve issues and disputes by acting as the facilitator. This gives them valuable lifelong skills. However, you would need to train the student beforehand, and support them throughout.

Restorative Approaches in Social Work

Restorative practice ties in well with social work; it comes under the popular relationship-based practice, which has been increasingly embedded across children's services to improve the consistency of approaches and outcomes for children and families. Recent social work developments - such as the Making Safeguarding Personal agenda and the Care Act 2014 - have made restorative practice an appealing option.

Additionally, the aims and values of social work align well with those of restorative approaches. These approaches allow social workers to create a supportive, respectful environment for individuals to share their feelings and take responsibility - an environment where the individuals themselves problem-solve and decide how they can move on. As a result, you empower the families, and let them develop their skills. Rather than the facilitator having to control the process, they are a partner or collaborator.

Family Group Conferencing

An example of a restorative approach in social work settings is family group conferencing (FGC), which might also be referred to as family group decision-making (FGDM). This originated in New Zealand in 1989, for families planning to protect children from further violence and neglect or residential placement outside their home.

In this approach, social workers and other professionals organise the conference, where they tell the family (and anyone else in their support network) about the government's expectations and the resources available to them, and then leave the room. They do not give the family any ideas about what the outcome of the conference should be.

The family is left alone to decide on their own plan for the future of the child - or, in some cases, adult - and professionals evaluate the plan later to see whether it meets safety and legal guidelines. Professionals might also help the family acquire the resources they need to put the plan into place. Afterwards, they monitor the progress of the plan with the family, and may hold follow-up meetings.

As a result of this approach, the family takes responsibility for their own loved ones. This respects their rights and potential strengths in a way that no previous government method can (Smull, Wachtel, & Wachtel, 2012).

The reason this is effective is that young people need to feel stable and have a sense of community and identity - only their family can give them this. Additionally, families are more likely to look for solutions that involve their own family members, rather than professionals or the government. Empowering families to fix their own problems also facilitates healing (Rush, 2006).

Instances of FGC where the young person has committed an offence are slightly different to those focusing on welfare. In these cases, the conferences look at the offence and the harm done, and a trained facilitator leads the discussion. The victim and any affected members of the community attend the conference and participate in the discussion. The offender's family and support system are also present. Everyone who is present helps to decide on the appropriate punishment for the offender.

These instances mirror the regular restorative approaches discussed in the previous section, and use restorative questions throughout.

What Are the Benefits of Restorative Practice?

The benefits of restorative practice are numerous, and supported by research findings.

Benefits in Schools

Implementation of restorative practice across the whole school (including all staff and pupils) can contribute to a safer, happier, more effective learning environment. It can also reduce the number of bullying incidents - a report published by the Department for Education (2011) shows that 97% of schools rated restorative approaches as effective in preventing bullying.

Similarly, studies such as the 2009 independent evaluation of the Restorative Solutions' Restorative Approaches in Schools (RAiS) programme in Bristol found that restorative practice improved school attendance and reduced exclusion rates. It can also improve achievement levels.

Besides this, restorative practice teaches children and young people about the impact of their choices on others, and helps them to develop empathy, responsibility, and emotional literacy. This leads to improved self-discipline and better decision-making, which can have an effect throughout their lives. The focus on building and maintain relationships creates better relationships between children and staff.

Benefits in Social Work Settings

Using restorative practice creates a more respectful, relational environment, where people feel supported. FGC, in particular, leads to better outcomes, less conflict with professionals, more informal support, and improved family functioning (Merkel-Holguin, Nixon, & Burford, 2003). For example, authorities that have implemented this approach have achieved high success rates with 'troubled families', and have seen a reduction in need for Child in Need and Child Protection plans.

Another benefit of restorative practice is its cost-effectiveness in social work settings, which makes it a sustainable model to be used now and in the future.
Restorative practice is an effective way to reduce disruption, conflict, and misbehaviour in schools and social work settings. Its many benefits have led to the approach becoming popular worldwide. This article has given you an overview of the principles and formats that restorative practice can take, and we hope that this helps to enhance your knowledge of the model. It is certainly one to consider adopting, if you have not already.
Further Resources:

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What is Restorative Practice in Schools & Social Work?

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Restorative practice is an approach to consider adopting if you have not already. We outline how it works in schools and social work settings, here.

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Restorative practices challenge teachers' authoritative instincts in the classroom-but they can also transform the experience of teaching, and reduce stress and burnout.

Full transparency: when I get angry, my instinct is to get punitive. But I also coordinate restorative practices in Milwaukee Public Schools as a part of the Violence Prevention Program. So my challenge as an educator is to bridge those instincts with what I've learned about restorative practices.

I taught high school in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) for almost a decade before transitioning to my current position as a restorative practices coordinator. Early in my teaching career, I was fooled into thinking my default punitive response style got results. Using my position as the authority figure in the classroom, I often said things to young adults with the expectation they would comply, and those statements would be accompanied by threats. For example:

"Sit in your assigned seat immediately or you will lose points on today's assignment!"

"If you interrupt my instruction again, I'll kick you out of my classroom. Your choice!"

"You want to come late to my class with your breakfast?! Go finish it downstairs and come back with a pass! If you don't like that, take it up with an administrator."

I was blinded by belief that my compliance-driven disciplinary style was getting results. Students were seated. Students were afraid to disobey me. Disruptive students were avoiding my class-but disrupting the office, the halls, the cafeteria, or the parking lot instead. If an administrator walked into my room, it was quiet and orderly-but wholly devoid of genuine community.
My students' behavior was rooted in fear and the avoidance of punishment.

You see, the burden of a punitive response style is this: only you can demand compliance in your classroom. What a stressful, isolating, burnout-inducing burden! What if it didn't have to be that way?

Restorative practices help children and adults hold each other accountable and cultivate genuine community.

What if students could hold themselves accountable to one another? It is possible using restorative practices-a spectrum of intentional relationship and community development tools.

We start developing genuine community in classrooms by creating shared agreements rooted in the values of both teacher and students. One way to do this intentionally in our classrooms is to facilitate circles in which students can share their core values with each other.

In these circles, students are given the opportunity to explain who they are when they are the best version of themselves. As a member of the classroom community, the teacher does the same.

When we take the time to listen to one another explain who we are, we're sending a powerful message: your story is important and you bring value to this community.

Based on my experience as a high school teacher, I think there are many students who feel their lived experiences are not valued by their schools or classroom teachers. As a result, they feel as if they don't belong in their schools, and their subsequent behavior reflects this perspective.

Giving young people an opportunity to identify values and develop shared agreements allows a new reality to take root in these spaces:

This is our classroom

This is our school

My story matters

I belong in this place

Restorative processes help us build, maintain, and repair our relationships with each other

When teachers shift their paradigm, students deepen their empathy and trust, improving their engagement in the classroom community.

The process for repairing relationships is another critical piece of building and maintaining community. In a compliance-driven classroom model, from the teacher's perspective, conflict is to be avoided at all costs to maintain order. When it comes to building relationships, though, conflict is necessary.

When we view conflict through a restorative lens, it becomes an opportunity to teach and learn the most important skill any human being could ever learn: empathy (and subsequently, trust). Navigating conflict actually helps us build trust in others. And conflict happens all the time in a classroom community.

If you've never taught before, take a moment to imagine standing at the front of a room full of 38 teenagers. It's the first day of class and 76 eyeballs are watching you intensely. You've hung a large sheet of paper near your door on which the following rules are clearly visible:

As soon as you shut the door and prepare to address the class, your 39th student appears. She opens the door, walks into your class on her phone, sits down in the nearest desk, and opens a bag of chips. What do you do? Fear and anxiety begin to collide in your stomach as you realize the burden of compliance. If you cannot force this girl to comply, your rules are meaningless.

You recite your class rules loudly. She ignores you. From the back of the room, you hear snickers; more cell phones appear. How do you, as the teacher, navigate this conflict and maintain some sort of dignity for yourself and ideally for the student as well?

Navigating conflict restoratively involves three components:

self-reflection

language

vulnerability

The self-reflection step is quite straightforward. Think about how you naturally respond when you have conflict with somebody you care about. Do you try to get your point across at any cost? Do you do what you can to make sure only one person's needs are met in the situation?
Sit with that for a moment.

Now, consider instead what would happen if you tried to resolve the issue by clarifying what you need and what you're willing to do to support the other person. This is going to require some intentional language, which is step two. Instead of articulating what this person did to upset you, and inadvertently triggering their natural desire to defend themselves, perhaps it would help to explain how you feel?

Use the pronoun "I"

Add a feeling word

Explain what happened

For example: "I feel frustrated when I spend time preparing a lesson and breakfast distracts you from learning the content. I really appreciate what you bring to our classroom community and want to make sure you're getting what you need from me. I need you to be finished with breakfast before you come to class. What can I do to help you with that? I'm always available to listen or talk more when you're ready."
When delivered genuinely, the vulnerability this kind of restorative language models is immensely powerful. It requires that individuals speak honestly about how they feel and what they need. This vulnerability lays the foundation for a trusting relationship-and it's the trusting relationship that is the cornerstone of genuine community.

We all deserve healthy, supportive communities-and restorative practices help us build them.

Consider the young woman who walked into the classroom out of compliance with your rules. What if she had walked into a room where a values circle was being facilitated? What if she sat in that circle? What if she had the opportunity to explain that when she's the best version of herself, she's respectful?

Her decision to violate the shared agreements becomes a powerful teaching opportunity. When you live in a functional, trusting community, you can more easily learn that the consequences of your actions impact the people you live with. Subsequently, it is your responsibility to fix your relationships with those people while receiving support from your community. The result of that process is trust. The more you trust the members of your community, the harder you will work to repair those relationships.

The restorative teacher is not fearful when that young lady disregards the shared agreements. The restorative educator embraces that conflict as an opportunity to teach trust, model empathy, and make the classroom community stronger.

The restorative educator-operating from shared classroom agreements-looks at the young lady with the rest of the class and invites her to be the best version of herself, because the community truly is not complete without her.

In education, I think there's been a tendency to believe that restorative practices are inaccessible to most teachers and administrators. Some might think it's a philosophy and way of being reserved only for those select few who naturally embody the work. My experience screams otherwise.

We all deserve to live and work in healthy, supportive communities. Restorative practices simply provide us with the tools to begin intentionally building those kinds of relationships with everyone. If we make those kinds of relationships our goal, healthy community is our reward.

Like I said initially-my instinct is to get punitive when I get angry. But the longer I do this work, the more I understand the importance of reflection as a tool for identifying who I want to be as a teacher. The more I'm able to own the shortcomings of my natural response style, the easier it will be to follow a new, more restorative path. While changing the way we speak and listen might seem insignificant, it's an awfully good place to start.

A social studies teacher at Milwaukee High School of the Arts for nearly ten years, Drew deLutio now serves as the Restorative Practices Coordinator on the Violence Prevention Team. With other teachers and district social workers, Drew helped develop the first Restorative Practices course in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and subsequently taught and modified the class to accommodate MPS' trauma sensitive schools initiative. As the Restorative Practices Coordinator, Drew works to implement Restorative Practices across MPS schools while simultaneously offering coaching and support to teachers and administrators.

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Restorative Practices Cultivate Caring, Empathy, and Community in Schools | Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

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Full transparency: when I get angry, my instinct is to get punitive. But I also coordinate restorative practices in Milwaukee Public Schools as a part of the Violence Prevention Program. So my challenge as an educator is to bridge those instincts with what I've learned about restorative practices.

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School Climate - Restorative Conversations

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Restorative conversations are a short (5-10 minute) dialogue between two people. Typically, this occurs between a teacher and student; however, it can be used in almost any context including a principal and teacher or staff member. These are intentional conversations that start off positive and

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Students' brains are hard at work every moment of the day, learning skills and connecting new information with old. Those same brains are also constantly processing information when it comes to their relationship with you, their teacher.

Positive student relationships are fundamental to success. When students feel supported, they're more likely to engage in learning and have better academic outcomes. Plus, when students have positive interactions with teachers, they have fewer behavioral problems. These relationships are more important - and more challenging - than ever in uncertain times, like during the coronavirus pandemic.

Neuroscience can help us understand what's happening in students' brains when they feel safe and understood. Here are four reasons why positive teacher-student relationships are important - and how you can build those relationships.

1. Positive relationships build motivation.

This creates a cycle. You provide positive feedback. The student's brain releases dopamine. The student feels good and is motivated to feel that way again. With this increased motivation, students spend more time and attention working on a skill. They build those skills. You give more praise - sparking the release of more dopamine. And the cycle starts all over again.

On the flip side, when students don't receive positive feedback, they're less likely to enter the positive cycle of motivation and learning.

How to do it: To build a positive relationship, you need to have more positive interactions than negative ones. More specifically, researchers recommend having five positive interactions for every one negative interaction. Positive interactions could include greeting students by name as they arrive, giving praise for working hard, or asking about a student's pet.

Students who learn and think differently often have more negative interactions than positive ones. For example, students with ADHD may receive constant reminders from teachers to be on time and stay on task.

This doesn't mean that you should never provide students with corrective feedback and reminders. But make sure the positive interactions outweigh the negative ones. The more you get to know your students, the more you'll recognize when they need praise or encouragement, and when they're open to constructive feedback. You can keep a tally of how many reminders you give a student to complete an assignment. Try to find five times as many positive things to comment on and tally up as well.

2. Positive relationships create safe spaces for learning.

Think about how this applies to your own life. If you have a supportive principal who has established psychological safety in your school, you might be more likely to challenge yourself and try new ideas in your classroom. But if school leaders consistently give critical feedback, you might not feel psychologically safe enough to try something new. It's the same for students.

Building psychological safety is harder with some students than others. Think of the last time you saw a student seeming to overreact. This behavior may result from trauma or chronic stress in the student's life (such as having a learning or thinking difference or growing up as part of a marginalized group). This can cause them to feel threatened in situations that other students find harmless. The brain learns that the environment is not safe and remains on alert to potential danger.

For these students, when something is perceived as a threat, a region of the brain called the amygdala sets off an alarm. The amygdala is known for its role in detecting threats in the environment. Its job is to keep us safe and alive. Think of an animal that must decide whether to run or freeze when it sees a predator.

The amygdala triggers the release of cortisol (also called the stress hormone) and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). This sends extra energy throughout the body. The muscles tense up and the heartbeat quickens, preparing for fight or flight. When the threat detection system in the brain is highly activated, learning cannot happen. This is the opposite of psychological safety.

In students, this might look like:

Avoiding assignments

Putting their head down

Yelling or making negative comments

Walking out of the classroom or leaving a live video lesson

Acting out physically or aggressively

While building psychological safety may be even more difficult with these students, it is especially important for them. That's because oxytocin also helps keep the amygdala's threat detection system quiet. Over time, when students are surrounded by people they trust, their threat detection system is less likely to activate, and they're better able to learn.

For students who are at risk for a fight-or-flight reaction, your approach will need to differ slightly. Use strategies like when-then sentences so they can know exactly what positive outcome to expect when they complete a task, while giving students the power of choice. Expect that they may overreact sometimes, and provide the space and time needed to calm down. By remaining calm, you're not only reminding yourself to react to their behavior as a form of communication and respond appropriately. You're also building psychological safety and trust.

3. Positive relationships build new pathways for learning.

As you teach the new information, new neural pathways connect the old information with the new. If students don't understand the context or aren't able to link the new information to anything they currently know, they'll have a hard time understanding the lesson.

Ask students to share what they know about a topic. Every student has a different set of background knowledge. For example, if you know a student is a talented artist, you can leverage their knowledge of different kinds of paintbrushes to explain friction. Or you can make an analogy about the relationship between the characters in a student's favorite book and the domestic strife in the Civil War.

4. Positive relationships improve student behavior.

Neuroscience research has started to uncover why this imitation happens - and how it can be used to encourage positive behaviors. Studies have shown that when people observe an action being performed, it activates some of the same neural pathways that would be active if they actually performed the action. This is called the mirror-neuron system.

Essentially, our brains are practicing the action that we're seeing, even though our bodies don't move. Studies show that when people see an action first, they are able to perform the action more quickly than if they had not seen the action.

How to do it: Start by thinking through what behaviors and social skills you're modeling for your students. For example, you likely already model social skills like turn-taking, cooperation, and empathy on a daily basis. You can take it a step further and explain the behaviors you're modeling. The next time you're feeling frustrated, tell your students how you're feeling. Talk about how you deal with frustration, such as taking a few deep breaths.

For younger students, use pre-correcting and prompting as a classroom management strategy. It allows you to explicitly tell, show, and remind students how to approach tasks or situations.

Young children are even more likely than adults to imitate the behaviors they see. That's because they're still learning social skills and appropriate behavior. Plus, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that allows us to choose where to direct our attention and to regulate our behaviors and emotions) isn't fully developed until we're in our 20s. Childhood is a prime time to model behavior and social skills for students.

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Building positive relationships with students: What brain science says

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Brain science tells us why positive student relationships can lead to their success.

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A strong, positive classroom culture supports children's social and emotional needs and development. Children thrive in a community where everyone contributes and everyone is valued. The classroom culture is created through the language we use, the responsibilities we encourage, and the procedures we teach.

A purposeful classroom culture teaches children the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in the world - in and out of school. These skills include understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving goals, feeling and showing empathy for others, maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions.

When we are thoughtful about our classroom culture we ask, "What do all my children need to grow and thrive?" Use this information as you plan, model, and reflect on the culture you have - or want to develop - in your classroom.

Reflect on Your Classroom Culture

A positive, caring classroom culture doesn't "just happen." It emerges as a result of thoughtful reflection and purposeful planning and actions. Here are some questions to get you thinking about your current classroom climate. Take some time to reflect on your own practice, recognizing all the great things you are already doing, and noting any areas where you would like to grow.
Do all the children in your room feel valued and included in the classroom community?

What are some of the things you do to build strong, positive relationships with all of the children in your room?

What are some things you do to get to know your children's families and include them in the life of the school community?

What are some things you do to learn about and understand children's home cultures and communities? How do you use this information to adapt your language, instruction, and culture?

Do your children feel that they have a say in how the classroom works? Do you talk about your classroom community as something that all children are part of, participate in, and responsible for maintaining? Would they say "we are all in this together"?

Do children in your room have an opportunity to discuss their ideas, thoughts, and opinions with each other?

What kind of language do your children use with each other? Do they know how to start conversations, ask for help, disagree politely, and encourage each other?

How have you taught children to speak to each other? Do you model, give them time to practice, and reinforce what is going well?

Do the children in your room feel responsible for their own learning and behavior?

Why do children follow "rules" in your room? What happens if they don't?

Do the children in your class behave the same way outside of the classroom as they do inside the classroom? Why do you think this is?

How do you teach classroom expectations/rules? How are they stated? How are they reinforced throughout the year?

Do your children understand why being responsible for themselves, others, and their classroom contributes to a positive classroom culture? Why is that important?

Do you think children feel that you believe in their ability to overcome challenges?

Do the children in your room have procedures and routines for all of the materials, processes, and spaces in your room?

Which classroom procedures are working well? What makes them work well? How do you know when a current procedure needs to be enhanced, improved, or changed?

Which procedures do you still need to establish (as evidenced by what children do not know how to do and/or what they are not doing)? Sometimes it can be helpful to close your eyes and imagine the perfect classroom. What does it look like? What are the children doing? What is the teacher doing?

During which parts of the day do children seem to have difficulty moving from one activity/space to the next? Are there any portions of the day when instructional time is lost due to poor transitions?

Getting Started with Classroom Culture

Here are our recommendations for first steps you can take to build, change, or enhance your classroom culture.

Use a variety of strategies to build relationships with all children.
Greet children in the morning, call them by name, communicate at eye-level, etc.
Building a positive relationship with your children is at the foundation of effective teaching. Positive teacher-child relationships build trust, help the children feel secure, and increase the level of cooperation. Positive teacher-child relationships will also positively contribute to your children's intellectual and social development. When the children feel safe, they are more willing take the risks necessary for effective learning to take place. Children learn best from teachers that they like.

Stand by the classroom door each morning and greet each child by name. Give high fives. Inquire about their pets, after school interests, and siblings.

Stand by the door at the end of the school day and say goodbye to each child. Try to recall a positive experience from the day.

Speak respectfully to the children. Conduct one-to-one conversations at eye level when possible.

Get to know your children via direct conversations with them and their parents, by reading their writing, and by "kid watching." Find out about their out-of-school interests and activities.

Include books in the classroom library that reflect your children's interests. Call each child's attention to those books that are well matched to that particular child.

Read aloud books, such as Something Beautiful, that encourage children to share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Acknowledge their birthdays, out-of-school events and accomplishments, and family celebrations (e.g., new baby, parent returning from military service, etc.).

Create a classroom that feels welcoming, joyful, and safe for children and families.

Creating a safe, joyful, and welcoming classroom is one of the most important things that you can do to promote learning. Children need to feel safe in order to learn. They need to feel secure in order to want to engage and participate. Children feel safe in an environment that is orderly, consistent, and predictable. They develop a feeling of belonging when they contribute to and help to build the positive environment. Parents feel welcome in classrooms in which the child is happy and has positive feelings. Parents are more likely to cooperate and become allies in their children's education when their children are feeling safe and welcome.

The classroom community is built upon the shared values of kindness, responsibility, and empowerment. Take the following steps to ensure that these fundamental values permeate the classroom.

Model and teach kindness through positive and empowering language, respectful interactions, and mini-lessons.

Construct and consistently reinforce procedures and responsibilities to give the children a sense of contributing to a positive environment.

Empower the children to take risks by viewing mistakes as learning opportunities and focusing on the learning process (not the product).

Recognize and celebrate successes with classroom culture, so that the children will understand the importance of these shared beliefs and demonstrate them consistently.

Use the language of "we, us, and our" to build community.

Use inclusive language that invites the children into the community of learning. When you use "we," "us," and "our," you make each child feel like a valued member of the classroom and send the message that "we're all in this together." The children will learn that group processes are an essential part of learning and of society as a whole. "We language" sends the message that all members of the class belong, are collaborative partners, and are invested in each other's success.

Engage the children in creating a class promise. Decorate the promise with the children's photos or self-portraits. Have each child sign the class promise.

Engage the children in "The Power of Three" mini-lessons to help develop and instill the idea of "our classroom."

Create classroom jobs to help the children understand that they have a responsibility to contribute to the smooth running of the classroom.

Schedule and conduct regular classroom meetings to give the children a forum to express ideas and take part in the decision-making about classroom life.

Gain children's attention before giving directions using verbal and non-verbal cues.

Learning to follow directions is one of the important life skills that your children will learn. Following directions is at the foundation of everything they do at school. However, you can't give the children any directions until you gain their attention. Primary classrooms are busy places, and your children are likely to be deeply engrossed in engaging literacy tasks that you have provided. Teaching the children to quickly respond to one of several attention-getting signals will help to maximize instructional time. You'll need to teach both verbal and nonverbal signals because there are times, such as indoor recess, when there is too much going on for the children to hear you.

Teach the children whimsical signals to stop and listen. You can use a call and response signal such as: (a) You say, "Macaroni and cheese," and the children respond, "Everybody freeze." or (b) You put your hands on your head and say "Hands on top," and the children respond, "Everybody stop." Some teachers clap a rhythmic pattern, and the children repeat it. Or you can say, "If you can hear my voice, clap once, twice, three times."

You might want to use a nonverbal signal such as raising your hand. Teach the children to raise their hands and stop talking when they see your raised your hand. When other children notice, they'll raise their hands, too. Eventually, all hands will be up and everyone will be quiet.

When the children comply with the request to stop and listen to instructions, compliment them for cooperating.

Teach children procedures for material, processes, and spaces.

Procedures are routines for using and understanding all aspects of the classroom. When planning which procedures to teach, analyze all of the class's materials (leveled books, art supplies, etc.), areas (classroom library, whole group meeting area, etc.), and processes (how to put books away, how to line up, etc.). List the procedures associated with each one. Procedures can be co-created with children's input. They are shared with the children through mini-lessons, using language that is specific, predictable, and consistent, so that the children understand exactly what is expected. Discuss the purpose (to maximize instructional time) of performing procedures routinely and accurately, and give children ample time to practice each one. Knowledge of procedures promotes children's independence, which results in reduced transition time and, therefore, more time for instruction.

Identify the procedures that children will need to learn to have the classroom run smoothly and efficiently.

Carefully plan procedural mini-lessons using a procedural lesson planning template.

Rehearse mini-lessons to ensure that you are using precise and effective language.

Call the children to the large group meeting area to teach the lesson.

Tell the children why you are teaching the lesson and how it will help them and the class.

Practice the procedure as needed.

Co-create, post, and regularly reference procedural anchor charts.

Anchor charts are created for the procedures that children need to have ingrained in long-term memory. When any procedure is taught, the teacher should consider whether an anchor chart is needed as part of the planning process. These charts are co-created with the children, are written in language that is positive, clear, and concise, and are regularly referenced during instruction. The class decides together where to post the chart, so that it is visible and easily accessible. Children are taught how to use anchor charts with independence, so that procedures become rituals. Creating, posting, and regularly referencing procedural anchor charts promotes responsibility and greater understanding of all routines in the classroom.

Create anchor charts for the procedures, responsibilities, and beliefs/values that children need to have ingrained in long-term memory.

Co-create these charts with the children. They must be written in language that is positive, clear, and concise.

Decide together with your children where to post each chart, so that it will be visible and easily accessible.

Teach the children how to use the anchor charts.

Regularly reference the anchor charts during instruction.

Work with children to develop appropriate, consistent, and fair responsibilities (instead of rules) for expected behaviors.

Teacher and children establish responsibilities together as a guide to all expected behaviors in the classroom. These responsibilities build and support classroom community, and they empower and encourage all children to be responsible. In contrast, "rules" often focus on obedience and cause power struggles. At the beginning of the year, the teacher and children create a list of responsibilities together, stated in the positive, so that the focus is on what children should do rather than what they shouldn't do. Two examples are, "Share materials" and "Raise your hand when you want to speak." Expectations are high but realistic to the particular age group. After the list is complete, the children are taught that any positive experiences or challenges that arise in the classroom can be categorized by three main responsibilities: responsibility for yourself, others, and the classroom ("The Power of Three"). These responsibilities are modeled, practiced and reinforced on a daily basis. As responsibilities become an integral part of classroom life, children will want to contribute responsibly to their classroom, resulting in an increased love for learning and school.

Use The Power of Three board to teach procedures, responsibilities, beliefs, and culture lessons throughout the year.

Create the "Power of Three" display together with the children:

Take Care of Yourself

Take Care of Others

Take Care of our Classroom

Build the Power of Three slowly over time.

Plan and implement responsibility or procedural lessons for most (if not all) of the mini-lessons that are listed under Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Each Other, and Take Care of Our Classroom, using language that is specific, predictable, and consistent, so that the children understand exactly what is expected.

The teacher and children use "take care of" language as much as possible throughout each day and reflect on The Power of Three daily.

State responsibilities positively.
Avoid "no" and "don't."
Maintain a positive environment in your classroom by helping the children learn responsibilities instead of demanding that they follow rules. Focus on what the children should do, not on what they shouldn't do. Staying positive will encourage the children to act responsibly. Help the children understand that in their efforts to be responsible, they will make mistakes. These mistakes are learning opportunities and evidence that they are trying. By focusing on positively stated responsibilities, you can help your children be more accountable for their own actions and feel a sense of belonging to a classroom community.

Develop a list of responsibilities for the children. Keep the list short and general, so that the children are not overwhelmed.

Share the responsibilities gradually via a series of mini-lessons on "The Power of Three."

State the responsibilities in simple, positive language, such as, "Be kind to each other," instead of "No hitting."

Use precise and specific language that is kid-friendly.

Build in "power breaks" throughout the day to reflect on, highlight, and celebrate responsible behavior.

Model self-regulation throughout the day.
Appropriately express and label emotions and feelings for children.
The most powerful lessons that we teach children are through our own actions. Children truly learn what we do rather than what we say. Our children use us as a model of behavior. You will experience a range of feelings and emotions during each school day throughout the school year. There will be times of joy, frustration, disappointment, anger, and sadness. The way that you react, respond, and express those feelings during those times is an authentic teaching and learning opportunity. Through your modeling, your children will learn to appropriately label feelings and express their own feelings.

Engage the children in creating a "feelings chart." Talk about the range of feelings and the appropriate responses to those feelings. Have the children make drawings showing a given feeling, or even have a child act out the feeling and snap a photo. The feelings chart will help give "names" and images to a wide range of feelings.

During read alouds, frequently have the children identify a character's feeling on the feeling chart.

When you experience an emotion and respond to it, take advantage of the teachable moment. Talk to the children about what happened, how you feel, and what you did and didn't do.

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A strong, positive classroom culture supports children's social and emotional needs and development. Children thrive in a community where everyone contributes and everyone is valued. The classroom culture is created through the language we use, the responsibilities we encourage, and the procedures we teach.

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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If it's tailored to the individual student and clear-cut, feedback can be a formidable learning tool.

Feedback can be a powerful process that greatly impacts student learning when it affirms students' identities as learners, is clear and direct, and considers the individual attributes of each student.

Strength: You clearly state your claim, The women's rights movement began with the suffrage movement but it's not over yet, and provided a list of recent events, such as the Women's March of 2017 and the U.S. Women's Soccer Team's court case, to support your thinking.

Need: Include the counterclaim and how you would respond. What would someone say if they disagreed with you? Where would they find fault with your supporting evidence? What can you include to address these arguments?

Next step: Work with your writing partner to talk through the Claim, Support, Question protocol. Do some more research to address the questions that you and your partner generate, and add this information to your essay.

Here's an example. A student receives the following feedback from her teacher:

This feedback moves beyond what students often receive in response to their work-statements such as "Great job!" "Shows improvement." "Add evidence." The more comprehensive feedback can empower students because it's individualized to the student; leverages students' assets, interests, and learning preferences; and builds students' confidence in themselves. Let's unpack the above example to see how to accomplish this.

Providing Meaningful Feedback

Strengths: Identify what students can do in relation to the learning target, regardless of whether they've achieved mastery. The feedback in our example is based on the following learning target and success criteria for the student:

Stating a claim

Providing supporting reasons and relevant evidence

Addressing counterclaims

I can write an argument by doing the following:

When a teacher identifies what students can do, it communicates the belief that all students are learners and can achieve high expectations. Students know what to repeat in future assignments and, most important, develop confidence in themselves. Often by middle and high school, students who have repeatedly been told what they cannot do have accepted failure as a norm and need support in redeveloping their identity as a learner. Identifying what students can do helps rebuild this identity characteristic necessary for learning.

Needs: Identify where a student is in relationship to the learning target. The language the teacher uses in identifying needs can affect how students receive the feedback. In our feedback example, the teacher states the need- Include the counterclaim and how you would respond-and then provides some questions to prompt student thinking. Zaretta Hammond writes in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain that direct and honest feedback helps students understand that feedback is affirmation that the student can reach the goal. When feedback is cushioned or vague, a student may interpret it to mean that the teacher doesn't believe in the student's capability.

Next steps: These directly correlate with the identified needs and provide suggestions on how students can move forward. Too often, students are given feedback but don't know how to address it. The teacher supports student independence and self-regulation by describing actions that the student can take on their own to strengthen their work. In our example of feedback, the teacher reminds the student to use a thinking routine that has been repeatedly used in class-to identify possible counterclaims and provide stronger evidence to support their reasoning.

Next steps should also consider the individual attributes of the student. For example, if the teacher knows a student is an artist, suggesting that the student use sketchnoting before writing might be a good next step. Students who use oral language to process information might benefit from peer discussion, as mentioned in the example, before writing. A linguistically diverse student might write in the language they are most comfortable with to organize and elaborate on their ideas.

The amount, timing, and format: These can influence how a student receives the feedback and their willingness to act on it. Some students need less feedback more often, while other students prefer to have the time to process and apply the feedback. Feedback can be verbal or written and offered privately or in small groups. The same process for providing feedback will not work for everyone. If a teacher is unsure as to what strategy might work best for the student, the teacher can conference with the student and discuss different strategies. This builds the trust that underlies the successful feedback relationship.

The feedback that students receive from their teachers serves as models for students to engage in peer feedback and self-assessment. When students use the same process with their peers and then apply it to themselves, they're truly empowered. Students, like their teachers, must have clearly articulated learning targets and a protocol, such as the strengths, needs, and next steps. They must also reflect on the feedback process. Questions such as "How did feedback from your classmate help you revise your work?" "What did you learn from examining your classmate's work that will help you in revising your own?" and "How did you revise your work after completing your self-assessment?" all help students see the value of the feedback process.

Empowering students through feedback begins with teacher feedback that identifies what the student can do, clearly states areas of needs, and considers the individual attributes of each student in providing next steps. When students receive quality feedback from their teachers, they are primed to engage in peer feedback and self-assessment, and empowered to be self-regulated, independent learners.

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If it's tailored to the individual student and clear-cut, feedback can be a formidable learning tool.

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Now, we're wondering ...

Calculators.
Search engines.
Google Translate.
Wikipedia.
PhotoMath.#ChatGPT.

They disrupt traditional teaching.

We adapt. Education evolves forward.

Blocking them isn't the answer.

Making education more relevant is.
- Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) December 14, 2022

Jump straight to a section (click a button below):

⭐️ Add thoughts, ideas, resources in the comments at the bottom! ⭐️

Define: ChatGPT, GPT3, chatbots, and artificial intelligence.

These are some of the important things to understand as we wrap our brains around what this is and how to navigate it in the classroom.

I'll do plenty of my own human thinking and reasoning, but for the purposes of information, I'm going to let ChatGPT give us working definitions to use:

1. ChatGPT, what are you?

I am an artificial intelligence assistant trained by OpenAI to help answer questions and provide information on a wide variety of topics. I am not a physical being, but rather a program that is designed to process and generate text based on the input I receive. My primary function is to assist users like you by providing information and answering questions to the best of my ability. I have been designed to have a conversational style and can understand and respond to natural language input. I do not have personal experiences or feelings, and my responses are based solely on the information and knowledge that has been programmed into me. Is there anything else you would like to know?

2. What is GPT3?

GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) is a language generation model developed by OpenAI. It is a neural network-based machine learning model that is trained on a large dataset of text data to generate human-like text. GPT-3 has the ability to perform a wide range of language tasks, including translation, summarization, question answering, and text generation. It can be fine-tuned on specific tasks or used to generate text in a more general sense. GPT-3 has received a lot of attention due to its impressive performance on various language tasks and its ability to generate human-like text.

3. What is a chatbot?

A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet. Chatbots are often used in customer service, marketing, and other areas where being able to communicate with customers or users in a natural, human-like way is important. Chatbots can be programmed to understand and respond to specific commands or questions, or they can be more general and able to hold a conversation with users on a wide range of topics. They can be integrated into websites, messaging apps, and other digital platforms, and they can be programmed to use natural language processing (NLP) techniques to understand and respond to user input. Chatbots can be very useful for automating tasks and providing quick responses to frequently asked questions, but they are not as advanced as some other artificial intelligence (AI) systems and may not be able to hold more complex or nuanced conversations.

4. What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of a computer or machine to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, decision-making, and more. There are several different approaches to building AI systems, including machine learning, where a system is trained on a dataset and can improve its performance over time, and rule-based systems, where the system follows a set of predetermined rules to make decisions. AI can be applied to a wide range of areas, including natural language processing, image and video recognition, robotics, and more. The goal of AI research is to create systems that can perform tasks at least as well as, or ideally better than, humans. AI has the potential to revolutionize many industries and transform the way we live and work, but it also raises important ethical and social questions.

What are the implications for the classroom?

As soon as the genie was out of the lamp, so to speak, there were effects of ChatGPT and AI on teaching and learning. Whether we felt those impacts right away or not, as soon as it was released, things have the potential to change. Below, we'll talk about ChatGPT in particular, but know that this is just the first one ... and we're thinking long-term about new products to come later.

1. Students can use ChatGPT to do their assignments.

There. I'll just say it clearly and plainly since we're all thinking it. For lots of assignment types (not all of them!), students can ask ChatGPT to do the work for them. They can copy/paste the work into a document or your learning management system and submit it.

2. TurnItIn and other plagiarism checkers can't catch it.

What ChatGPT creates is an original work each time you ask it. It creates something new every time you ask, and its responses are not in the databases of plagiarism checkers. ChatGPT doesn't keep a log of responses it creates, and even if it did, I'm thinking OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) has no incentive to make all of that available to plagiarism checkers. (Even if it did, the processing power necessary to query that database would be enormous.)

Some people will, undoubtedly, try to find ChatGPT detectors to track down students using it (in a similar way to plagiarism checkers). You may find them. I found one on social media called GPT-2 Output Detector Demo. It's a demo, so it's not a finished product. It's based on GPT2 technology (which is a predecessor to the GPT3 technology that ChatGPT is using as of the writing of this post).

Also, it can be wildly inaccurate. I copied a blog post I wrote into it and it identified it as 92.54% chance of being real. I copied something out of ChatGPT and it identified it as 99.98% chance of being fake. ("Fake," being the term for "written by a bot.") A poem ChatGPT created for a friend, however, was flagged as real.

Beware of using detectors as your way of dealing with this.

They're not reliable. And this approach isn't the long-term solution to helping your students become modern learners.

3. Schools and districts will try to block it, but that won't stop much.

Immediately, IT admins are going to have to decide if they want to block ChatGPT with their internet firewalls. And lots of them will indeed block it. If they do, I hope they don't think that they've solved the "problem" they think they have on their hands.

First of all, blocking ChatGPT on the school's network won't do much. Sure, students won't be able to access it with their school devices on the school network. But did you know that students have cell phones? Phones that operate on a cellular network that the school can't control? They can run to the bathroom, sit in a stall, ask ChatGPT for answers, copy them to a document, come back to class, and transfer the text on that document into their assignment and turn it in. (They can do that at home, too. Or on the bus. Or quietly under the desk in the classroom.)

Whether to block ChatGPT school-wide is still a decision schools and districts have to make.
The bigger decision is: what will teaching and learning look like going forward now that this technology is available?
(Check out the section below called, "Should we block it or try to ban it?")

4. ChatGPT and forthcoming chatbots like it have their limitations.

When you load ChatGPT for the first time, it even tells you what some of its limitations are. Here are a few that it states -- and some others to be aware of for schools/classrooms:

It may occasionally generate incorrect information. As of publication of this post, it's still in "free research preview." That means it's an imperfect product that they're trying to improve.

It may occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content. Any artificial intelligence is as good as the dataset it's drawing from -- and how it uses it. It has to make judgment calls just like humans do. Bias exists in judgments. It's still learning how to work with and eliminate its bias.

It has limited knowledge of world and events after 2021. Think of its dataset in a sealed box. It isn't drawing from current events. It can't pull anything from social media. It can't even search the active internet.

It won't make ethical decisions for you. I've asked it a few things where it has to make decisions based on morals, ethics and personal values. It has declined, explaining that that's beyond the scope of what it's trained to do.

I've heard that it struggles to do math sometimes. I admit this is a really, really subjective thing to include with very little to back it up. I keep seeing posts on social media about this. Take this for what it's worth to you.

5. School/class uses of ChatGPT, chatbots, and AI aren't all bad.

Lots of teachers are making judgment calls about the use of this new technology, and many are concerned about its immediate impacts. Here's the truth: it'll make lots of teachers reconsider some types of assignments they'll assign going forward. Hey, they don't want to know how a bot will respond to their prompts, questions, and assignments. They want to use it to gauge learning in a human being. It makes sense.

But let's put it this way. There are some really, really mindless, terrible writing prompts out there ... and math worksheets ... and project assignments. If we're looking long-term, this technology will eventually start to push some of those terrible assignments out and force us to come up with something new. It'll probably be painful, and many of us will probably hate parts of the process. But in the end, we will evolve to something better.j

Also -- just like we did with the calculator, Wikipedia and Google searches -- students and teachers will find productive, meaningful ways to use this new technology for teaching and learning. (More on that below.)

6. Students will have to learn how to navigate life with AI.

Big picture, this is a shift students will deal with for the rest of their lives. Artificial intelligence will continue to get better and better. This version of ChatGPT is the weakest, most rudimentary artificial intelligence of its kind our students will ever use. My friend Holly Clark called it the "Commodore 64 of AI" -- a technology that was revolutionary at the time but is now seen as antiquated and obsolete.

Students will have to wrestle with questions of humanity -- what sets us apart as humans? When should AI be used, and when shouldn't it be?

They'll wrestle with questions of obsolescence -- what can I do that AI can't do? How can I do my best to be sure my work, my passions, my place in this world isn't replaced by artificial intelligence?

They'll wrestle with ethical questions -- how can AI use be fair, equitable, unbiased, good? What happens if it gets in the hands of bad actors? How can I make sure I'm using it in an ethical way?

How do I teach class tomorrow knowing this exists?

Now we know there's an AI product that students can use to do their assignments. And we can't block it. And maybe we feel powerless.

What do we do tomorrow? How do we write lesson plans knowing that this exists -- so that students continue learning right now and don't just turn in answers from a bot?

Consider this your "break glass in case of emergency" section.

1. There's no shame in using paper and pencil -- for now.

I don't think this is the right answer long-term. But in this section of this article with the green background, we're talking about how to weather the storm TODAY until we understand what to do next.

If we close up the computers and ask students to write something on paper, we know it's being generated by their own brains. If you have a crucial essay that needs to be written -- and you're not ready to re-imagine the education system and innovate teaching today -- this can help you survive tomorrow.

But please ... please, please, please ... please do not plan for the long-term like this. This AI technology isn't going away, and its effects will be sprawling and widespread.

2. Make use of collaborative learning and discussions.

When Google Translate started growing, it made people ask questions like we are with ChatGPT. Do I need to learn a language? Then, we learned, if we want to have a true conversation with another human and build relationships, we can't do that effectively by typing everything into Translate. (Even though 90 Day Fiance tried to prove otherwise.)

When students discuss, they do so from their own working and long-term memory. Sure, they can look up quick answers, but to carry on a conversation, most of the work comes from their own thinking. After a discussion, students can recap the discussion and share their reflections about it ... and that's much harder to do with a bot.

Collaborative learning can have these kinds of benefits, too. When students work together, even if they're pulling information from Google or Wikipedia or ChatGPT, they're still talking about what they got, if it fits, how to organize it, how to communicate it effectively, etc.

3. Have students make creative demonstrations of learning.

There's so much benefit from classroom creativity that goes beyond trying to beat an AI chatbot. Creativity in learning can help students with motivation. It can help them make use of their own unique talents and skills. It can help them feel seen and heard and noticed.

When students take what they've learned -- or information they've found from other sources -- they're engaging in elaboration. And that's a good thing.

"Elaboration in learning involves meaning-enhancing additions, constructions, or generations that improve one's memory for what is being learned." ( via ScienceDirect)

Take what you've learned (or gathered). Organize it. Make something with it. And while you do that, you're better understanding what you have.

4. Use retrieval practice, brain dumps, and other memory strategies.

Retrieval practice is the idea of strengthening your long-term memory by recalling everything you can about a specific topic. It seems too easy and too good to be true, but it's been backed by cognitive science for decades. This is a study strategy that helps students strengthen what they've already learned and reflect on what they are learning.

Students can do a "brain dump," where they recall (on paper, verbally, in a document, etc.) everything they know about topics like:

What do you remember from class yesterday?

What do you remember about (this topic) we studied a week ago?

What do you remember about (this topic) we studied last semester?

What do you know about (this topic) we haven't studied yet?

What do you know about (this person)?

What do you know about (this very broad topic)?

What do you know about (this narrow subtopic)?

Brain science (much of which can be found at RetrievalPractice.org) tells us at that these brain dumps build long-term memory the best when they are ungraded. They're a study skill, not a formative assessment.

These memory strategies focus on what students have already learned, and they're pulled from student memory -- not from an AI bot.

If teachers aren't ready to embrace AI, how can they teach without students using AI to cheat? It is important for teachers to be aware of the potential for students to use AI to cheat and to take steps to prevent it. One way to do this is to use methods of assessment that cannot be easily cheated, such as open-ended questions or projects that require original thought and creativity. Teachers can also use tools such as plagiarism detection software to check for copied content in student work. In addition to preventing cheating, it is also important for teachers to educate their students about the appropriate and ethical use of AI. This can include discussing the potential risks and consequences of using AI to cheat, as well as the importance of honesty and integrity in academic work. Ultimately, it is important for teachers to stay up to date with the latest technologies, including AI, and to be proactive in addressing any potential issues that may arise in the classroom. This may require teachers to seek professional development opportunities or to collaborate with others who are more familiar with AI.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

Can I use this as a tool for teaching and learning?

The answer here, I believe is: ABSOLUTELY. The longer that AI and tools like ChatGPT are around, the more that teachers will try new teaching and learning strategies with it.

The more that teachers try new things and share them widely, the more that the educator community will move forward with new ideas. In short: we will figure this out together, even though it will take some time.

But ... what will it look like?

Here are some ideas, brainstormed by me (a human), by others (with citations provided) and by the bot (because, why not ask it too?).

ChatGPT doesn't just write your students' essays for you.

20 ways ChatGPT can help you teach/learn

🧵 /startthread

1. Ask ChatGPT to write your lesson plans. (Or at least to get some new ideas.)
- Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) December 19, 2022

1. Use it as a more complex, nuanced source of information than Google.

During conversations with students and in-class discussions, we can ask ChatGPT (and other tools like it) to provide us the information we need to drive a conversation forward. The bot's response isn't the first and last word in the conversation. Rather, it just provides details that we can use to discuss a topic.

2. Use it to provide students access to lots of good examples.

Think about how musicians and artists develop their style. They copy their mentors. They take their favorite influences and emulate them. Artists take a canvas to an art gallery or the park, and they paint what they see.

I keep remembering this quote from fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, which I learned about through Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist:

"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself." -- Yohji Yamamoto

This is also the benefit of being well-read. When students see enough good examples, they start to know what to expect of good writing. Good reasoning. Good logic. They see the hallmarks of it and they can emulate it ... much like a writer or painter emulates the greats.

Artificial intelligence can give students unlimited good examples. (Note that I didn't say "great" examples, but "good.") Ask it for an essay about a certain topic. Then ask it again and it'll give you something different. Then ask it again. Then ask for a slightly different version, specifying something you'd like to see.

When it's time for the student to create something of their own, much like an artist or musician studying the greats, the student will draw from the examples they've seen.

3. Use it to remix student work.

Students create something for class: a story, an essay, a poem, a recap of something they've learned. Then, they can ask ChatGPT (or a similar tool) to remix it for them.

My favorite example to date of this comes from Donnie Piercey, a fifth grade teacher and the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. He took a student story and asked ChatGPT to remix it as a nursery rhyme, a soap opera, a sea shanty, and a children's book -- with suggested illustrations! Listen as he tells the story in the video below.

When students see how their work has been remixed, it can open them up to new opportunities.

4. Ask it for definitions (on a variety of levels).

If you need a concept explained or defined, ChatGPT (or a similar tool) can provide that explanation -- and do it in as detailed or simple a manner as you'd like.

On episode 99 of the Partial Credit Podcast, Jesse Lubinsky shared that he asked for a definition of "faith" in terms a child would understand. That helped me realize that it can give definitions, descriptions, and explanations -- we expected that -- or it can level them up or down in complexity however we ask.

5. Ask it for feedback for student work.

We know that one key aspect to effective feedback is that it's timely. With traditional paper-based work, students turn it in and must wait for teachers to grade it -- and return it! -- before they can see feedback. Lots of edtech tools are letting us get feedback to students more quickly -- whether automated or through direct communication with a teacher or classmate.

ChatGPT (or a similar tool) can be another source of feedback. When students finish a written work, they can copy/paste their work into ChatGPT and ask how they can improve their writing. For example, I copied one of my blog posts into ChatGPT and simply asked how I could improve it. It gave me a list of five suggestions, including transitional phrases, adding more examples, and breaking it up into shorter paragraphs. (Better start a new paragraph now ...)

Of course, it's up to the student -- and based on what the student has learned about writing -- to decide whether to implement the advice and how.

6. Ask it to do some teacher tasks for you.

Ask ChatGPT (or a similar tool) to write some lesson plans for you. Or some questions for a quiz. Ask it for some jokes about your content so you can slip those into class. Of course, you don't have to use everything that it provides you verbatim. But it might give you a starting point you can modify -- or if you already have something, it can give you ideas to improve.

7. Add it to the "think pair share" thinking routine.

Augmenting the think-pair-share with ChatGPT could be one of the biggest tech-enabled leaps in pedagogy:
* Think
* Pair
* ChatGPT
* Pair
* Share
- Sarah Dillard (@dillardsarah) December 5, 2022

I love this line of thinking from Sarah Dillard (Twitter: @dillardsarah), and if you click on it and look at the whole thread, she explains it more. Students think about a prompt, then discuss it with a classmate. Then they do any searches they want on ChatGPT. They pair back up to discuss what they've found. Then they share with the class.

Using ChatGPT and AI doesn't have to be THE way we teach certain things, but it can add important steps to existing frameworks.

8. Grade the bot.

Jen Giffen (Twitter: @virtualgiff) talked with her high school-aged students about the use of AI and tools like ChatGPT. (We talked on the phone. You'll see that the phone call sparked lots of ideas!) After that conversation, she suggested this idea:

Give a writing prompt to ChatGPT (or a similar tool). It could be a different writing prompt than you'll give your students. Read the essay that the bot creates for you.

Then, give the students the rubric you'll use to grade them and ask them to grade the response from the artificial intelligence.

This helps students to be reflective about the grading process -- and about their own writing process. When students get grades on their own work, it's easy to take it personally -- or to dismiss it because it makes them feel like they've messed up a lot. But when they critique the work of a bot that doesn't have feelings, it eliminates a lot of those emotions.

9. Debate the bot.

This came from that conversation with Jen, too, and she said she's seen this one shared on social media a lot.

Let students (as individuals, in pairs or small groups, or even as a whole-group activity) debate ChatGPT (or a similar tool).

Students take one side of a debate. The AI takes the other. Students plug their points in and ask the bot to rebut.

It gives them low-stakes practice -- and as much practice as they want -- to hone their debate skills. Plus, they may see talking points for their own stance (or that their opponent may use) so they can strengthen their argument.

10. Ask the bot for advice.

One more takeaway from this conversation with Jen! (Although several of the ideas below were sparked during that conversation ... so, you know, credit where credit is due.)

Jen asked ChatGPT very generally, "Give me some advice." It gave her some general (yet very good) ideas on managing stress and relationships and mental wellbeing.

A bot can't be a replacement for counseling or medical help. But we do take advice from friends, family ... even strangers sometimes. If students are struggling with just about anything, they can get advice from this artificial intelligence -- an AI that's working with much of the entirety of the internet as its dataset.

11. Use it to summarize texts.

If a text that your students are reading is in the dataset of ChatGPT (or a similar tool), they could always try to ask it for a summary of the whole thing -- or of certain chapters, sections, acts, scenes, etc. This is what we used SparkNotes and Cliff's Notes for years ago. Of course, SparkNotes and Cliff's Notes were controversial in the past -- "if they read those, they'll never read the text!" -- but eventually we found ways that they could support learning, too.

Seeing a summary of a text that you've just read can help you process what you've read. It's similar in nature to a book club. You hear what other people think and observe about the text and it helps inform your view of it.

This could also be a helpful strategy for reviewing before a quiz or a test.

12. Use it for insight into big, difficult-to-solve problems.

Before you read this one, just remember ... I taught high school Spanish for 10+ years. I'm not a math or science teacher, and I kind of struggled with those during school. That said ...

If you -- or your students -- come up with a math or science problem bigger than you know how to solve (or don't want to take the time to solve), ask ChatGPT (or a similar tool).

If it can solve it, it'll show you an answer. But, more importantly, you'll gain some insight into the process of solving it. And even if it can't solve it, it'll tell you why.

You could also ask it bigger societal questions to see what it would say. I asked it how to solve world hunger, and here's what I got:

Eliminating world hunger is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires the efforts of governments, international organizations, and individuals around the world. Some strategies that have been proposed to address this issue include:

1. Increasing agricultural productivity: This can be done through the use of advanced technologies such as precision farming and genetically modified crops, as well as by improving infrastructure and access to education and training for farmers.

2. Reducing food waste: Up to one-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted, which represents a significant opportunity to increase food availability. Reducing food waste can be achieved through better storage and transportation systems, as well as by increasing awareness about the issue.

3. Improving distribution systems: In many cases, food is available, but it is not distributed effectively to those who need it most. Improving distribution systems, including supply chains and transportation networks, can help get food to the people who need it.

4. Promoting economic development: Economic growth can lead to increased food production and greater access to food, as well as the resources and infrastructure needed to address food insecurity.

5. Providing emergency food aid: In times of crisis, such as during natural disasters or armed conflict, providing emergency food aid can help prevent starvation and malnutrition.

Ultimately, addressing world hunger will require a combination of these and other approaches, as well as strong political will and sustained commitment from governments and other organizations.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

14. Anticipate the response you'd expect from AI.

If your students have been studying a topic, this could be a great retrieval / brain dump activity -- and a way of ranking the importance of all the things they've learned about the topic.

Tell them that you're going to ask ChatGPT (or a similar tool) to summarize what they've been studying. Ask them what they think the bot will say. It'll prompt them to recall knowledge from their memory (which strengthens long-term memory). Plus, when they rank them in importance (because the bot won't list everything it knows), they'll have to give a justification.

All of this leads to deeper understanding of the material -- and strengthened long-term memory.

15. Take several responses and make a better product.

ChatGPT often has a button at the bottom of a response that says "regenerate response." That's because each time you ask it a question, it generates something original, doing the work from scratch every time.

If you were asked to pick a movie as your favorite, describe it, and tell why you like it in 60 seconds, your response each time would be a little different. (For me, the movie would probably be different every time!) It's an original, unique work each time. ChatGPT works kind of like that every time.

Ask it to answer a question or write something for you. Then ask it again ... and again ... and again. Get five (or more!) versions of the same prompt.

Have students (individually, in pairs/small groups, or even ask a class) take the best parts from those versions and turn it into a better final product.

This can be a scaffolding strategy for students who struggle to write essays or papers. It introduces them to some of the strategy of crafting a written work without all of the taxing effort of doing the whole thing.

16. Create personalized learning experiences.
Response from ChatGPT to "How can AI be used to help teach in the classroom?" AI can be used to create personalized learning experiences for students by adapting the content and pace of instruction to each student's needs and abilities. This can be achieved through the use of adaptive learning software, which adjusts the material based on the student's performance.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

17. Provide tutoring or coaching.
Response from ChatGPT to "How can AI be used to help teach in the classroom?" AI can be used to provide one-on-one tutoring or coaching to students, either in person or remotely. This can be particularly useful for students who may not have access to human tutors, or for subjects that are difficult to teach in a traditional classroom setting.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

18. Generate prompts and questions to facilitate discussions.
Response from ChatGPT to "How can you (ChatGPT) be used to help teach in the classroom?" I can be used to facilitate discussions among students by posing questions and prompts that encourage critical thinking and encourage students to engage with the material in a deeper way.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

19. Provide information and answer questions.
Response from ChatGPT to "How can you (ChatGPT) be used to help teach in the classroom?" I can be used to provide students with information on a wide range of topics, and to answer their questions on those topics. This can be particularly useful for subjects that may be difficult to understand or that require a lot of background knowledge.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

20. Supplement in-person instruction.
Response from ChatGPT to "How can you (ChatGPT) be used to help teach in the classroom?" I can be used to supplement in-person instruction by providing additional resources and materials for students to explore on their own, or by offering additional support and assistance outside of the classroom.
Source: ChatGPT via chat.openai.com (2022)

How are teachers using ChatGPT in the classroom?

How are they using it? To put it briefly ... in very creative ways.

Even though ChatGPT has been blocked at some schools -- and the terms of use are for 18 years and older -- teachers are using it to improve instruction and make their lives easier.

On Twitter, I asked how teachers are using it in the classroom.

Below are some of our favorite replies. You can view the whole conversation -- and add how you're using it. (You don't even need a Twitter account to view.)

Helps formulate possible discussion points, questions, topics, and misconceptions for collaborative discussions.
Also great when creating Twitter chat questions! I use it, then edit results to more of my liking, but starts me off in the right direction. #tcea23 #tcea
- Tom Spall (@Tommyspall) January 27, 2023

@jmattmiller I used it today to create leveled text sets- fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with our science and social studies unit using the essential knowledge specs . Literally saved hours and hours of resource Curation.
- Brittany Ferguson (@BFergusonVB) January 27, 2023

FREE teaching ideas and templates in your inbox every week!

How to define "cheating" and "plagiarism" with AI

What is cheating? What is plagiarism?

We thought we had a pretty clear idea of how we'd define both of these.

As more and more artificial intelligence (AI) come on the scene, we're going to have to update our definitions.

That is ... if we want our education to be relevant to our students' future.

If AI tools are everywhere -- and they're only going to get better -- they'll be a vital part of the workforce when students progress through school and graduate.

So our definitions will have to morph.

The question is ... where will we draw the line?

Here's a slide I shared during a conference presentation about ChatGPT and AI in education. It was the most-shared slide on social media from that presentation.

We're going to have to draw a line -- as educators, as schools, even as school districts -- to determine what we're going to allow and what we aren't.

First, let's make sure we're clear on these two words. Here are my best definitions for these terms ...

Cheating: When a student does something dishonest in academic work that misrepresents what they understand or are able to do for an unfair advantage.

Plagiarism: When a student represents some type of work to be their own creation when, in reality, it isn't their own work.

Those definitions might not be perfect, but they highlight an important reality.

There's LOTS of gray area. It's fuzzy and unclear.
Which of these would you consider "cheating" or "plagiarism"? (From the image above ...)

Student plugged prompt into AI, copied response and submitted it to the teacher.

AI created a response. Student read, edited, adjusted, and submitted.

Student created multiple AI responses, used the best parts, edited, and submitted.

Student wrote main ideas. AI generated a draft and offered feedback to improve.

Student consulted the internet/AI for ideas, then wrote and submitted.

Student wrote all assignment content without consulting AI or the internet.

There's a good chance your gut reaction -- your visceral answer to this question -- relates to how our current education system operates or how you've taught in the past.

Of course, things are changing.

The artificial intelligence available today is some of the least powerful our students will see in their lifetime. ( ChatGPT is like the MySpace of artificial intelligences. We'll look back on it and laugh at how powerful we thought it was.)

Think of a 10-year-old in school right now. She graduates high school in eight years. She graduates college in four years.

By the time she enters the workforce, artificial intelligence has improved and evolved for 12 years.

As we consider our answer to the question, "What is plagiarism/cheating?," our answer has to be relevant to that student in 12 years.

Also, if we want to be fair, we have to ask ourselves this question:

Which of the above options would we use in our work as adults? If we're willing to use AI in our work right now, it's only going to become more commonplace in the future.

Of course, as educators, we're still trying to grasp AI and its place in the world.

We don't have to have the perfect answer right now.

But now is the time to start trying to get it right.

AI detectors: What's available? Should we use them?

In the days and weeks after ChatGPT was released, teachers kept wondering about one thing.

"How do I know if students used artificial intelligence to do their work?"

Immediately, there was a demand for AI detectors.

Today, there are several options. (We'll get to that in a second.)

But it begs a bigger question: Do they really solve the problem? (And is the perceived problem really a problem?)

Let's put it this way.

When TurnItIn came on the scene, did it fix the problem of plagiarism in classes? Did it make plagiarism go away? No. It's a tool.

Point 1: AI detectors are a tool, not a cure-all. If you found the most accurate, effective one, it wouldn't keep students from using AI to do their work, and it won't make AI tools go away.

Point 2: Today's AI detectors aren't very reliable. They routinely produce false positives, saying human-created text was created by AI. Just like in court, you can't accuse someone using evidence that isn't reliable.

Point 3: They can be the beginning of a discussion. If a student turns in work that appears to be heavily AI-generated, it might be time to talk. How do I know what you've learned? Are there barriers preventing you from doing the work yourself? In a world with more and more AI, how will you leverage your humanity so you're not outsourced by AI?

Point 4: Use your teacher eyes and teacher brain. If you've been reading your students' work and following your progress, your human senses might detect that something doesn't look or sound like them better than an AI checker could.

So, with that all established, what's available?

Should we block it or try to ban it?

If we block ChatGPT (or tools like it) and think we're solving a problem, we're deluding ourselves.

There are two decisions that need to be addressed since ChatGPT was released.

A big, systemic decision that needs to be made is: What will teaching and learning look like with ChatGPT and AI in existence?

We've started unpacking that above (and in conversations all over the globe).

But there's a more pressing question, and it's one that requires a bit of nuance ...

Do we block it at school?

Immediately, schools and districts must decide whether to block access to it on school networks and devices.

That decision, however, won't solve "the problem." (I use quotes because I'm not convinced that the proliferation of AI is a problem. It really does disrupt how we have done -- and are doing -- school, though.)

Students still will have access to it. It's like social media. It can be blocked at school. But students can access it (as I mentioned above) on their phones under a desk, in the restroom, on a bus, at home ... anywhere. They'll get access.

But someone has to decide. Should it be blocked at school?

What educators in my social media circles are saying ...
The resounding answer has been, "No, don't block it."
Their rationale: This is the future. It's not going anywhere. Students must have access to it. It'll prepare them for the future. Why would we want to keep students from accessing something so powerful?

There's something to know about these social media circles, though. Lots of people in them aren't in the classroom and don't have a good perspective on what full-time teachers go through.
(Full disclosure: I don't teach full time anymore either. I'm in my wife's and kids' schools a lot, but I don't teach full time.)
The ones in these social media circles that are in the classroom? They're dreamers (like me). They've seen the ways the system is broken. They're ready for change.

In the end -- if we're playing the long game (and I think we are), I side with them.

Generally.

What regular teachers in regular classrooms are saying ...
If you walk into any given classroom in schools across the United States (and some parts of the world)? The resounding answer has been, "Please block it. Right now!"
These are the teachers who write lesson plans. Every single day.

They grade student work. Every single day.

They teach and supervise and facilitate class. Every single day.

They never have enough time to do what they need. Their checklist is never complete.

There's a level of survival in these classrooms.

Reinventing their teaching methods and assignments at the drop of a hat because a new AI bot came out?

They just don't have time for that. (And they don't have the capacity in their already fractured personal wellness to do that.)

I understand.

I think, deep down inside, these teachers know the potential of AI and tools like ChatGPT. They know that it's going to change how teaching and learning looks.

They just need to survive the day. The week.

They need to survive until break.

They're on the front lines, dealing with all sorts of difficult situations and a lack of resources and a lack of respect for the classroom and the teaching profession.

They also just did this. Do you remember? (If you don't, you probably haven't taught in a classroom for a few years.)

Teachers are just starting to feel a sense of normality after pandemic-induced remote teaching. They had to reinvent the way they teach -- immediately! -- to a remote format, one that most weren't prepared for, technologically or pedagogically or logistically.

As teacher wellness expert Mandy Froehlich (Twitter: @froehlichm) said, they're trying to get out of emergency mode. And when you finally get out of emergency mode, there's a let-down ... an emotional, sometimes physical, response to the trauma you've dealt with.

So to those that look down their noses at teachers who are begging for this to be blocked, let's just remember the recent past. And let's also remember that they likely understand the impact of this.

They just want to survive the week. Survive until break.

Survive until we get a spare moment to think about this. Learn about it. Brainstorm some ways to change our assignments so that they can't

A proposal for schools/districts that's a middle ground

(Hear my justification for this proposal in the video) Let's block it until the end of the school year.
Let's not make a long-term decision to block ChatGPT (and tools like it) forever.

Let's also not make a long-term decision to leave it open forever.

(I'm not totally confident that this is the right answer. But I haven't heard anyone argue for the middle ground yet, so I want to add this voice.)

Let's agree to block it on student devices and networks (and allow it on teachers devices/networks if possible) just until the end of the school year.

To look at their assignments and consider how they'd like to change them in light of this new technology.

To look at how they teach and how this might be incorporated in it.

To look at how technology like this might augment classroom discussions

Here's why ...

Teachers need some time to regroup ...

... and on and on.

We need some space. Some time. A little room to ponder, to sit with all of this. To talk to other educators about what they think. To talk to students and to parents.

Let's just give teachers a little space.

However, let's also make a few things clear.

1. This isn't the long-term answer. This is a stopgap to help struggling teachers to survive this sudden change.

2. Students still will have access to this. Just because we block this on student networks and devices doesn't mean they won't plug your writing prompts and questions into this technology. This just buys you a little time to finish the year with your traditional assignment types to come up with something new.

A faculty-wide discussion and brainstorming session about best ways to teach and learn is in order at the end of the year. Everyone shares their best ideas and prepares for their implementation. (And let's pay the teachers for this extra meeting, OK?)
1. Will this technology be blocked on school networks and devices? 2. How will we evolve our teaching practice now that these technologies exist?
Then, at the beginning of next school year, let's open the ChatGPT floodgates.

Even if this isn't the solution you (or your school/district) comes to, there are two decisions that need to be made:

Blocking ChatGPT district-wide is one decision.

Deciding how teaching/learning happen while it exists is another. (to me)

If a district thinks blocking it will solve the problem, they're deluding themselves.

Blocking it can be one part of a solution, I believe. https://t.co/CvHCT2RqSQ
- Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) December 14, 2022

What other resources can help me learn about this?

Below is a list (albeit incomplete!) of resources I've found in the weeks after ChatGPT came into existence. I'll share links along with why I like them as resources. Please add other resources -- even your own! -- in the comments below!

ChatGPT in Classrooms: What to Know (U.S. News and World Report) -- Students, teachers and others in education weigh in on this new AI tool and the implications it has in the classroom.

What can English teachers do about ChatGPT (Learning in Room 213) -- This post explores what ChatGPT is, the problems with blocking it, and suggestions: entice personal engagement, avoid formulaic assignments, build critical thinking, etc.

No, Artificial Intelligence Won't Destroy High School English (or Any Other Subject) (John Spencer, Spencer Author) -- I've waited to read this because I wanted to create my own piece of content without copying anyone, but I've been excited to see John's thoughts on it. Hang on a second, let me read it ... Yep, it's as fantastic as I expected. Some of John's points include: "Almost any task can be automated, but what's the joy in that?"; "If we outsources every task, we might short-circuit the learning"; and "AI can't replace your voice." This is really, really good.

Human Skills in a World of Artificial Intelligence (John Spencer, Spencer Author) -- In this post (which dovetails wonderfully with the one above), John outlines the problems with a couple approaches to AI and advocates for another one: "the human approach."

The conversation about how much we care (Twitter thread by Evan Weinberg @emwdx) -- This thread doesn't seem to have gotten much attention, but I really like where Evan's going with it. He introduces it with: "As we see start to see how easy it is for a tool like #ChatGPT to generate text that sounds convincingly like us, it is starting the conversation about how much we care. We care a lot more than we might initially admit."

Ideas for using ChatGPT in the Classroom (IB English Guys) -- They opened up this collaborative Google Doc to share ideas. There are 10+ ideas with rationale and comments from educators.

AI Homework (Stratechery) -- This is an interesting, thoughtful, nuanced look at the intersection of homework and artificial intelligence. He talks about the struggles that ChatGPT has with math, and he even runs a virtual machine (like a Linux terminal) inside ChatGPT.

Yes, Teachers, You Should Be Panicking About AI (The Broken Copier) -- This post provides six reasons why we should be concerned about ChatGPT and AI (in light of the condition of education in many classrooms right now), helping us make sense of how we move forward.

The College Essay is Dead (The Atlantic) -- This was one of the first posts I saw (that was circulated widely) about the impact of ChatGPT in education. It's a paid article on The Atlantic. I subscribed so I could read it so that I could tell you ... it's talking points and not much else. If you'd like to read commentary about it and you're a subscribers to The Atlantic, go for it. I wouldn't pay for it ... especially since I'm focused on what we can actually do with this technology.

No, ChatGPT is Not the End of High School English. But Here's the Useful Tool It Offers Teachers (Forbes) -- Here's the best point in this whole article (so you don't have to read it): ChatGPT is an excellent prompt tester. Think you've come up with a good writing prompt? Feed it to the chatbot. If it can come up with an essay that you would consider a good piece of work, then that prompt should be refined, reworked, or simply scrapped.

Learning More about Chat GPT in Education (Jennifer Casa-Todd) -- Jen has written books about social media, digital literacy, and technology's impact on children's lives. She shares some of the best things she's found about the topic.

Education is about to radically change: AI for the masses (Nate McClennen and Rachelle Dené Poth for Getting Smart) -- AI already does and will continue to impact education - along with every other sector. Innovative education leaders have an opportunity to build the foundation for the most personalized learning system we have ever seen.

Let's Chat: OpenAI and ChatGPT (THRIVEinEDU podcast by Rachelle Dené Poth) -- Have you tried OpenAI yet? What has your experience been? Rachelle shares some background info, insights, questions and more in this episode. She also shares at her blog: www.Rdene915.com.

Chatbots in Education: Middle School and High School (Heather Olvey and Terri Files) -- These teachers pulled together slide decks with ideas for implementing chatbots in the classroom.
Have a resource to add -- yours or from someone else? Share it in the comments below!

Are you looking for quality, meaningful professional learning that both equips and inspires teachers?

Matt provides in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions that equip, inspire and encourage teachers to create change in their classrooms. Teachers leave with loads of resources. They participate. They laugh. They see tech use and teaching in a new light. Click the link below to contact us and learn how you can bring Matt to your school or district!

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ChatGPT, Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence in Education

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Now, we're wondering ... Calculators.Search engines.Google Translate.Wikipedia.PhotoMath.#ChatGPT. They disrupt traditional teaching. We adapt. Education evolves forward. Blocking them isn't the answer. Making education more relevant is.- Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) December 14, 2022 Jump straight to a section (click a button below): ⭐️ Add thoughts, ideas, resources in the comments at the bottom!

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DSM-5 Criteria for Autism (In Picture Form) — Insights of a Neurodivergent Clinician

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There is a lot of confusion about what goes into the DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this article a Neurodivergent (Autistic-ADHD) clinician explains the Autism criteria for the DSM-5. Providing visuals and explanations throughout.

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What are executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning (EF) skills are the abilities in our brain that help us complete everyday tasks. These skills include planning, organization, time management, metacognition, working memory, self-control, attention, flexibility, and perseverance. Sometimes, it's helpful to think of executive functions like an air traffic controller in our brains. The EF center is assigning tasks to each of the different skills. For example, it tells us to focus and really listen while someone is talking (attention), while reminding us to get started when we have an assignment due at the end of class (task initiation). All of these skills work together to make sure we are working efficiently and effectively while completing daily tasks.
What do each of the EF skills mean?
Each skill plays an important role in helping to accomplish both daily responsibilities and long-term goals. While reading up on the different executive functioning skills and their jobs, it's important to note that they often work together in different ways.

Planning is developing a well-thought-out strategy before starting a task. This involves thinking about what is needed before beginning something and creating a list of steps to help accomplish that goal in an effective way. Strong planning skills can help learners best use their time and complete tasks well, without needing to go back and revise work after the fact.

Organization is using strategies to stay neat and tidy. Being organized includes having a place for everything, developing a plan to keep materials orderly, and cleaning up we go. Learners with strong organization skills are better able to find what they need when they need it.

Task initiation means starting right away. That includes not procrastinating, even when it is a less-desired task (like starting homework or doing dishes). Skills with task initiation are critical because they are one of the initial steps in actually getting up and starting a job.

Time management is using time well to complete tasks. This helps us estimate how long tasks will take, prioritize tasks, and use time wisely. With strong time management skills, learners are better able to do their best and most focused work on jobs while also completing assignments on time.

Attention allows us to focus on a person or task for a period of time, ignore distractors, and refocus when needed. Strong attention skills can help to make sure learners hear and understand instructions, focus well during conversations, and concentrate on longer tasks.

Metacognition is thinking about our thinking. That means considering what we know and what we don't know about a topic as we learn. This can be a critical skill when studying for assessments, completing challenging assignments, and even just comprehending new learning material.

Working memory is keeping information in our heads while we use it. We use working memory when we solve complex math problems and juggle numbers in our head. We also use working memory when remembering critical details in a story or just thinking back to what the directions given in class were.

Self-control is stopping and thinking in order to make a more positive choice in the moment. That involves learning how to "hit the pause button," calm down when emotions run high, think through a situation, and make a good choice for now and the future. Learners use self-control in the moment, such as raising their hand before asking a question in class, and in the long-term, such as choosing to stay home to finish an assignment instead of going out with friends.

Flexibility is effectively coping with change. This means being open-minded, testing out new approaches, and going with the flow when things do not go as planned. Being a flexible thinker also means being able to see a situation in more than one way, which is critical for problem-solving and perspective-taking.

Perseverance is working through challenges and roadblocks that come up along the way. This means being able to try new strategies, continue working when a task is difficult, and even asking for help, when needed. Strong perseverance skills are necessary for success in all areas of life, as challenges are bound to come up here and there.

Why is it important to target executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills are in everything that we do. We use them when we plan out a long-term project, when we organize our materials, and when we use self-control to not call out when someone else is speaking. These skills are the foundation for success in and outside of school.

Can executive functioning skills be improved?

Yes! By explicitly teaching and practicing EF skills, we ensure that all learners have the strong foundation they need to be successful in and outside of the classroom. The idea is that we can train our brains to improve basic skills like organization and self-control.

Kids and young adults can also learn valuable compensatory strategies to help them through their struggles with staying organized, paying attention, and persevering through challenges. Not only does this give learners immediate short-term benefits, but gives support in the long-term as well. Below are some simple, but effective, strategies in teaching and practicing executive functioning skills.

Embed skills in the curriculum. Spend time teaching executive functioning skills through your current content and curriculum. For example, teach students how to plan when a research paper is assigned. Spend a few minutes giving organization tips when clearing out an old notebook. Discuss strategies for memorizing words when learning new vocabulary. Embedding EF skills into what you are already doing can be a highly effective strategy for success.

Problem-solve through scenarios. Teach learners how to overcome challenges by working through scenarios with them. Ask your students, "If you are headed to class and realize you don't have a pencil. What can you do?" and "Imagine you are taking a test, but you just can't focus. What might you try to help yourself?" Come up with your own or use these executive functioning task cards to get started. Working through these situations when they are not stressful is a huge key. This problem-solving practice can build new strategies, skills, and confidence.

Use games and play activities. Use break times to play fun educational games that can build executive functioning skills. For example, play Jenga at the end of the week as a reward to focus on practicing planning and self-control. Use brainteasers in the morning as a warm-up to practice flexibility and perseverance. The options are endless, and kids will have fun while learning.

Teach skills explicitly. When learners have significant executive functioning weaknesses, it's important to teach the skills in an explicit way. That means explaining the skill, discussing the reasons for learning it, and giving students practice. Use this yearlong executive functioning set to get started with your older learners (or try this EF set if you work with younger students).
Which skills should I focus on first?
It's important to note again that all EF skills work together. For example, learners will be better planners if they stay organized and can manage their time well. With that said, each person has individual executive functioning strengths and weaknesses. That means some learners might struggle with staying organized, while others need extra support practicing self-control.

A great way to know which skills to work on is to use the free executive functioning self-assessment. Join Pathway 2 Success to grab your free copy!

As a Pathway 2 Success member, you will get updates on blog posts and access to exclusive free resources in the member library, like the Executive Functioning Student Self-Assessment (and you will get a printable poster of the strategies visual posted above, too!). Just enter your email address below to join as a Pathway 2 Success member!
Where can I learn more about executive functioning skills?
It's clear to say that EF skills are a huge topic. Read up on more executive functioning skills with the blog posts below:
How can I get started?
Executive functioning skills are important. Whether you work with elementary, middle, or high school learners, there are resources that you can use to get started right away.

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What are executive functioning skills? Executive functioning (EF) skills are the abilities in our brain that help us complete everyday tasks. These skills include planning, organization, time management, metacognition, working memory, self-control, attention, flexibility, and perseverance. S

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A guide for parents and educators came about through two questions for researcher Emily Acraman about how to create an inclusive school environment for an autistic child and ways to offer classmates an understanding of autism. Here's her tips.
28 January 2020 - PEER ATTITUDES towards individuals with autism play a significant role in the success of the inclusive classroom, and the overall outcomes for all students involved. For the autistic student, peer understanding, and acceptance increases the opportunity for social learning and improved outcomes. For the neurotypical student, it offers opportunities to learn about difference, tolerance, and compassion which are key leadership qualities (Hehir et al, 2016).

Here are our top tips on how to promote autism acceptance, inclusion and understanding among peers in the classroom.
# 1 - Normalise difference
It is a great idea to firstly talk about difference. Everyone is different and that is what makes us unique. Sometimes it is easier to introduce the topic of difference with children in terms of physical difference, e.g. short, tall, blond hair, black hair. These differences are normal, and it is important to accept these differences.

Brain differences are just the same. We all have different brains and we all have different strengths and challenges. Autism is just another type of difference which is just as normal as any other (Reframing Autism, 2019).
# 2 - Information promotes understanding
Providing and sharing information about autism is the next step in promoting understanding among peers. Information puts fears into perspective, and for many young people with no experience of autism or disability in general a lack of information can lead to incorrect assumptions (Campbell, 2016).
Tips for teachers/parents on delivering autism information to the class (Larkay, 2015):

Tailored information which is specific to the individual is helpful. However, it is essential the autistic student and their whanau are comfortable sharing information and having their diagnosis or difference talked about.

Explain why the autistic student may have difficulties in certain situations - this is especially important if the individual has sensory sensitivities. Help the classmates to come up with tips which could support the student around these sensitivities. For example, if the individual dislikes sudden loud noises, maybe the class could decide to not slam the desks or doors.

Explain why the autistic students behaviour might look different - for example hand flapping or repetitive noises. Explain why this happens, and that this behaviour serves a purpose. For a lot of people with autism this behaviour helps them to self-regulate and stay calm and relaxed. Maybe the class could identify whether there are things they do themselves to help self-regulate - maybe they click their pen on and off when they are concentrating?

Explain if there are any differences to regular classroom participation - Does the individual receive extra support in class, e.g. maybe they have special support staff, or they take breaks regularly and leave the classroom. If so, it is important the other children in the class know why this happens.

Allow the other children in the class to ask their own questions.

#3 - Appoint peers as buddies

Using peers as buddies for autistic students is another way which has been found to promote acceptance (Campbell, 2016). Buddies could be used to help an autistic student navigate social interactions during play times, for instance morning tea and lunch time. These unstructured times during the school day are often the times where autistic students feel most anxious and unsure about 'normal' social rules and what may be expected of them.

Use special interests as a way to pair children up.

Note: autistic children should never be forced to play with others. Morning tea and lunch time are their breaks too, so they should be offered opportunities to do things that they enjoy and find relaxing (Goodall, 2013).

#4 - Encourage communication and interaction among students
Communication difficulties are one of the main characteristics of autism. Often people with autism struggle to make eye contact, but this doesn't mean they aren't paying attention or listening. Encouraging peer interaction is important in aiding acceptance and inclusion. While specific communication methods will vary for each individual with autism, in general encourage all students to:

Start with names - encourage ALL students to use individual's names first, pause and then continue communication. This gives all students, time to recognise someone is speaking to them. For an autistic student, this is really important.

Be nice - Kindness goes a long way when communicating with anybody. For an autistic person who may be anxious when communicating and interacting with their peers, a complement or encouraging statement can be especially important in aiding positive interactions.

Be patient - Sometimes autistic people find it difficult to communicate how they feel or what they mean. As well, autistic people usually have trouble understanding non-verbal communication (e.g. body language), so in a way they are only receiving half of the message.

Listen carefully - Autistic people usually take language very literally, which means there is often lots of opportunity for misunderstanding. For example, if you were to say with an exaggerated tone of voice: "Great! This is just what I need right now". An autistic person may not be able to pick up on the sarcasm, and the meaning behind the statement. If you listen carefully you may be able to pick up on these misunderstandings and clarify them when they occur.

Explain things (nicely) - be clear when you communicate and explain if you think the person you are communicating with has misunderstood you or has not picked up on your social cues. For example, if the conversation is going on and on and the person you are speaking to has not understood that you are trying to wrap it up, be clear. You could say "it has been great talking with you, but I need to finish this conversation as I have to get to my next class".

Communication strategies - if the autistic student uses a particular communication strategy or device (e.g. PECS or sign language), then the whole school should also learn how to communicate this same way, so the student is able to engage with any staff or students (Goodall, 2013).

#5 - Address sensory needs
Most people with autism will have one or more sensory sensitivities.

They may be hyper or hyposensitive to certain stimuli, e.g, be affected by a desk banging or door shutting but not bothered by loud music, or they find all loud sounds unpleasant, but seek out interesting smells.

Explain these to the other children in the class. The National Autistic Society (UK based) has a great video which gives people a look into what navigating the sensory world can be like for an autistic person https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPknwW8mPAM

If changes are being made to the classroom to accommodate these sensitivities communicate this to the other students in the class. Maybe the students can come up with ideas on how to make the classroom environment more 'autism friendly'. Ideally you want to encourage an environment where everybody feels comfortable and as though they belong, and that everyone is responsible for one another (Goodall, 2013).
Other helpful resources:

About Autism Booklet - developed by Parent to Parent

Reframing autism - Talking to children about autism. Webinar which details how to talk to your child about their autism - also applies for talking to all children about autism. You can also find a great tip sheet here.

My Friend with Autism by Beverley Bishop. A great book which promotes tolerance and understanding among peers. A peer narrator explains his autism friend is good at some things, and not so good at others - just like everyone else.

Beth and the Bracelets by Jessica Falconer. Another great book which deals with emotional overload, dealing with a complicated life, and the hope adults can give to children who are different. Delivered from the perspective of autism, without overtly stating so.

Hehir, T., Grindal, T., Freeman, B., et al. (2016). A summary of the evidence on inclusive education. Abt Associates. Retrieved from https://alana.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/A_Summary_of_the_evidence_on_inclusive_education.pdf
Reframing Autism. (2019). Talking to children about autism: a tip sheet. Reframing Autism. Retrieved from https://www.reframingautism.com.au/resources/talking-to-children-about-autism-a-tip-sheet
Campbell, J. (2016). Teaching peers about autism. Organization for Autism Research. Retrieved from https://researchautism.org/teaching-peers-about-autism/
Larkay, S. (2015). Promoting understanding in the classroom. Sue Larky. Retrieved from https://suelarkey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Promoting-Understanding-in-the-Classroom.pdf
Campbell, J. (2016). Importance of peer inclusion for autism. Organization for Autism Research. Retrieved from https://researchautism.org/the-importance-of-peers-in-inclusive-education-for-individuals-with-asd/
Garcia, A. (2017). A neurotypicals guide to speaking to someone with autism. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/autism/dear-neurotypical-guide-to-autism#1

Emily Acraman is a researcher at Parent to Parent.

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Supporting peer inclusion and understanding of autism in the classroom - Altogether Autism

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A guide for parents and educators came about through two questions for researcher Emily Acraman about how to create an inclusive school environment for an autistic child and ways to offer classmates an understanding of autism. Here's her tips.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) provides standardized criteria to help diagnose ASD.

Diagnostic Criteria for 299.00 Autism Spectrum Disorder

To meet diagnostic criteria for ASD according to DSM-5, a child must have persistent deficits in each of three areas of social communication and interaction (see A.1. through A.3. below) plus at least two of four types of restricted, repetitive behaviors (see B.1. through B.4. below).

Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

Specify current severity:
Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. For either criterion, severity is described in 3 levels: Level 3 - requires very substantial support, Level 2 - Requires substantial support, and Level 1 - requires support..1

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

Specify current severity:
Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. For either criterion, severity is described in 3 levels: Level 3 - requires very substantial support, Level 2 - Requires substantial support, and Level 1 - requires support..1

1. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).

2. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

3. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.

Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Individuals who have marked deficits in social communication, but whose symptoms do not otherwise meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder, should be evaluated for social (pragmatic) communication disorder.
With or without accompanying intellectual impairment Associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor With or without accompanying language impairment Associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder
(Coding note: Use additional code to identify the associated medical or genetic condition.)

( Coding note: Use additional code[s] to identify the associated neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder[s].

With catatonia (refer to the criteria for catatonia associated with another mental disorder)

( Coding note: Use additional code 293.89 catatonia associated with autism spectrum disorder to indicate the presence of the comorbid catatonia.)

References

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

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Diagnostic Criteria | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | NCBDDD | CDC

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Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is working to find out how many children have ASDs, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs.

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Worksheets For Kids | Kindergarten & Elementary | Printable Worksheets

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25,000+ printable worksheets for teachers & homeschool parents. Social studies, English, geography, people, seasonal & science worksheets. All curricula!

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LuxAI - Award winning social robots for autism and special needs education

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Discover our expressive social robots for assisting in the education of children with autism, special need education and human-robot interaction research

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PositivePsychology.com - Helping You Help Others

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PositivePsychology.com is an online resource for practitioners who want to put positive psychology in practice. Let us help you help others.

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If you fly with any regularity, you're likely very familiar with the flight attendant's instructions to place the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting children. The reason, of course, is that you can't do a very good job if you don't take care of yourself first. Particularly in challenging situations, this is absolutely vital. Teaching is very much like this!

Always "on"

Teaching can be challenging, and educators selflessly give so much of themselves. There are the social-emotional demands to meet the needs of children and teens, many of whom are dealing with considerable life events and possibly even trauma. Then there is the heavy draw on one's attention, where making literally hundreds of decisions happens every day with very little cognitive downtime. Add to that the busy physical nature of the job, where it can be tough to keep up with just keeping yourself hydrated. We're always "on," but there's a silver lining: we love what we do, so if we take the time to recognize teacher burnout, there are definitely ways to stop it in its tracks.

The toll of teacher burnout

One of the most researched aspects of the teaching profession is stress and burnout. For example, did you know that:

Up to 40% of teachers experience burnout?

Within the first 5 years, about that many (40%) leave the profession?

Think about that for a moment. Think about how hard those teachers worked to earn their degree, get certified, find a position. Now think about how many gaps that leaves for kids to have qualified and caring teachers. How would you feel if you were one of those teachers?

I'm sure it's an extremely difficult choice to leave teaching because of burnout. But it might also be a very difficult choice to stay if one continually feels physically, mentally, and emotionally compromised. Stress and burnout have been associated with work-related fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pessimism. Not only are educators impacted directly, so are students. Teachers experiencing burnout have higher absenteeism, lower teacher self-efficacy (not feeling one has the skills and resources to do tasks), and lower effectiveness as a teacher.

So we know that teacher stress and burnout can undermine teacher health and well-being and this can also negatively impact one's pupils. Can this be turned around? Happily, the answer is YES!

A pathway to educator wellness

With numbers reaching almost epidemic proportions, researchers and practitioners have been working very hard to better understand the problem and come up with solutions. Let's take a look at two main areas and what they are finding so you can take advantage of these strategies. I'll also include some links for you to further explore.
Practicing mindfulness
Mindfulness is about being engaged fully in the present moment, and in a way that is open and non-judgmental. Mindfulness has been quickly gaining favor as a very promising approach for educators. This is based on repeated findings that it can help reduce stress and thereby improve health and well-being. For instance, a recent comprehensive review of the literature found practicing mindfulness reduces stress, increases self-efficacy, and is particularly effective in helping teachers regulate their emotions.

Here's how to begin:

1. Know your emotional triggers. Track what pushes your buttons.

2. Pay attention to your body. Become aware of bodily sensations when you start feeling stressed.

3. Write these down and then come up with techniques to implement when they happen.

Some recommended technique ideas are:

Count to 10 before responding

Let go of trying to over-control

Recognize the pain that drives someone to show difficult behavior and to not take it personally

Use kind humor

Do some stretching

One technique I used with much success when I felt things were spiraling in my special needs classroom was for everyone to stop, close our eyes, and be completely quiet until a feeling of peace returned. It wasn't about waiting for everyone to be quiet in the sense of just not talking, it was about waiting for everyone's minds and emotions to quiet-including mine!

Just remember, this is a work in progress as you determine what works best for you. Once you feel comfortable you can start teaching your students to practice mindfulness as well. Here's a great article for you to delve deeper into practicing mindfulness: Seven Ways Mindfulness Can Help Teachers.
Practicing healthy habits
Physical well-being is essential to combating not only physical stress but emotional and mental stress as well: good nutrition, exercising, and getting enough sleep form the foundation of well-being. Research shows when educators engage in more healthy behaviors, they practice more effective coping and experience less stress.

Some tips:

To get your recommended 8 hours of sleep, turn off your devices at least an hour before retiring. The blue light emitted has been found to interfere with the brain's sleep-wake cycle. Instead, use the time to do something non-tech like star-gazing, playing with your pets, doing a craft, or grabbing some pen and paper and composing a poem. Create a list of all the things like this you'd like to do.

Replace foods high in sugar and fat with those with B-vitamins for balancing neurotransmitters which kick in with the fight-or-flight response, Vitamin C and magnesium to lower the "stress hormone" that is cortisol, and Omega-3s which lower anxiety. Reducing caffeine and alcohol are also key.

It is recommended you get 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. But don't be daunted by these numbers; anything is better than none and you can work your way up. If you can do this outside, even better because sunlight releases serotonin, which is a hormone that lifts mood.

Make a commitment to take better care of yourself, so that you can better take care of the children in your charge. Here's an article with a slew of great resources: Physical Health Impacts Mental Wellness.

Closing thoughts

"Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions."~ Unknown. Perhaps like me, you've seen this quote on mugs, posters, and the like. But if you really stop to think about it, it showcases just how selfless teachers are and how big and important the profession is. With that can come a heavy burden, but by recognizing this and practicing self-care, it's then more possible for you to stay in the teaching seat for the duration of the flight!
Lilla Dale McManis, MEd, PhD has a BS in child development, a MEd in special education, and a PhD in educational psychology. She was a K-12 public school special education teacher for many years and has worked at universities, state agencies, and in industry teaching prospective teachers, conducting research and evaluation with at-risk populations, and designing educational technology. Currently, she is President of Parent in the Know where she works with families in need and also does business consulting.

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Educator Wellness: Self-Care in a Selfless Field | Resilient Educator

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Up to 40 percent of teachers experience burnout. Looking for ideas to stop burnout and better take care of yourself? Focus on these two areas first.

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The last day of school is always bittersweet: Saying goodbye to students can be tough but usually, teachers are so exhausted when summer comes around that they need some time to recover. As you prepare to close up shop for the summer, consider these five summertime tips for relaxing, recovering and preparing for fall.

Before you go: Take note

You don't have to plan everything for next year before summer break, but make notes of major schedule changes, units or individual activities that can be improved or that went particularly well, and create a fall to-do list.

Many of these critiques or changes are fresh in your mind in April or May - when you have little energy or time to modify them - but fade into the background by August. Without a list, the work required to recapture necessary lesson changes eats up precious fall prep time. A good set of notes and goals before you leave will make for an easier August. It also allows you to set one or two distinct summertime goals and keep them separate from your fall-prep workload.

Take care of you

Hectic school year schedules mean that a variety of personal necessities get set aside, often including teachers' own health and wellness. Whether you schedule annual eye or physical appointments or develop healthy habits that can last through the school year, take some time to take stock of your physical needs. A more open summer schedule is an opportunity to do the things you've put off.

Better yet, get out and play. Long days of teaching, planning, and grading get in the way of a nature hike or a game of disc golf, but summer break is just the time to engage in this kind of fun. Remember: Teachers need recess as much as the kids, so take advantage of the time in front of you. Rec centers and community education programs often offer short classes in the summer. Consider shedding the teacher role and becoming a student in something fun.

Fill the well

Being an educator is mentally as well as physically exhausting. In addition to taking care of your physical self, take time to fill your mental well. For some, this means continued pedagogical training, research, and professional development, but for others, it means reading a good book in the sun.

Don't just fill your summer to-do list with tasks put off during the school year - make sure to give yourself break time to fill that intellectual well. Between podcasts, YouTube channels, and summer book lists, there is a wealth of intellectual exploration at the ready. Giving yourself time to be a curious student of the world will pay off when you return to the classroom. And besides, students will love to hear stories about what you discovered over the summer.

Get ahead

Many teachers do professional development over the summer because there's so little time for it during the jam-packed school year. In her article " 12 Low-Cost Professional Development Ideas for Summer Break," Kim Haynes outlines a variety of ways to expand your professional development, both for personal and professional benefit.

Whether it's formal through your district or a university, or through informal online tweetchats and message boards, participating in professional development can help recharge you over summer break. Ensuring that you are surrounded by people who also love to teach and armed with new ideas to implement in the fall, these conferences, workshops and social media discussions can really help reignite the passion for teaching when you're feeling the most burnt out.

Shut down, unplug, reboot

Teaching is a calling, not just a profession, which makes it difficult to step away. To fight exhaustion and burnout, consider trying to step out of the teacher mindset entirely for a short while. Whether that be through a vacation, technology break, or some good fiction, this doesn't have to last for the entire summer. Even a week or two of total cut-off from the teaching life will help recharge your excitement and energy for fall.

Getting away from computers, email, and your daily school-year habits can be tough, but it will help you reconnect with yourself and your family. Take the time to nap, sleep in and enjoy the benefits of your vacation. Before you know it, you'll be back in the classroom going over to-do lists and getting ready for another meaningful school year.

Monica Fuglei is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Omaha and a current faculty member of Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, where she teaches composition and creative writing.

Learn More: Click to view related resources.

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Tags: Mid-Career Teacher, New Teacher, Professional Development, Teacher Self-Care

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Teachers' Summer Self-Care Rx: Relax, Recover, Prep | Resilient Educator

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The last day of school is always bittersweet: Saying goodbye to students can be tough but usually, teachers are so exhausted when summer comes around that they need some time to recover. As you prepare to close up shop for the summer, consider these five summertime tips for relaxing, recovering and preparing for fall.

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