The social media atmosphere for several of the cliques of girls on the middle school campus is hostile.  There have been reports of cyberbullying that you hear about from other teachers and some students (some incidents have gone to admin). You have become aware of a couple of female students who are on their phones (so they don’t notice you) looking at a post and exclaiming, “what a f’ing slut! I can’t believe she goes here!”

Action Plan

Shifts

Shift 4: Move the Paradigm from Punishment to Development

Although it seems that there is clear malicious intent in the hurtful comments and cyberbullying taking place simply punishing the students who are cyberbullying by suspension, detention, or punishments along those lines may not be very effective. It is clear that the offending students lack empathy, are caught up in a power dynamic, and/or do not understand the weight of their actions. In this scenario, there is an opportunity through restorative justice to teach these girls and understanding of their impact and destructive potential. 

Shift 5: Resist the Criminalization of School behavior

With the fact that these girls are middle schoolers in mind, I think it is a large possibility that they are testing boundaries and seeing what they can get away with, at the expense of another students feelings and self-worth. What they are doing is clearly wrong, but by giving the traditional punishments or suspension or detention would not teach the students how to appropriately and respectfully interact with their peers. 

Strategies for intervention

Mediation

If the school has a peer mediation program I would recommend this strategy as an intervention for this scenario. A peer mediation would consist of the girls involved in the incident with an additional 2 students who are trained peer mediators. Each individual would have an opportunity to share their side of the story, why they did what they did, and/or how one another actions effected them. Solutions would be discussed such as how justice can be brought to the victim and a plan/agreement to put an end to the issue. The aim is for all parties to agree on a plan and sign the plan to show that they agree. Once a solution is come to the meeting is over. If anyone violates the resolution contract, then the violator will attend another mediation with a teacher, admin, or counselor. 

Parent Involvement

Because the use of social media happens outside school hours as well, letting the parents of the students know about the abuse of their child's social media use can be effective. With parent support and involvement, parents can extend the teaching and discipline at home and address the issue as well. Letting the parent know about the action taken at school and bring the problem to their attention is important, so in the scenario that the problem persists, the parents are aware that it is an ongoing issue and not an isolated incident. 

“Know Your Students and Develop Cultural Competency” - By understanding who my students are, who their parents are, and their background, I’ll have a better idea what could be increasing stress in their life, who their support systems are, and the root of the issue. I can take preventative measures if I know that a student doesn’t get support at home (by inviting them to office hours to work with me). I can know their schedule, if they work, etc. And knowing my students lets them know that I care about them as people, too. 

“Move the Paradigm From Punishment to Development” - I think a typical response to students not turning in work is punishment. They get a bad grade, and are told to catch up. And if they get bad grades, they may fail the class, and get held back. Rather than give Kristina a bad grade, I’d give her an incomplete, and approach her about why she isn’t turning in work. How can I help her? If I punish Kristina, she’s likely to keep going about what she’s doing. Instead, I can use it as a moment of development and support, so that we can prevent this scenario from happening in the future. 

I think I’d have the most success figuring out how to best support Kristina by having a personal conversation with her. The context I want in this scenario is: how is Kristina doing in general (emotional, mental, social)?, does she feel comfortable in class?, what does she like about class?, what does she dislike?, are they missing work because they don’t understand how to do it, or because they don’t want to, or why? How can I help her engage? In the following order, these are the steps I’d take:

1.) “Reference norms or policy” - I would begin the conversation by reminding Kristina of the classroom norms (which I’d have on the wall of my classroom). Some of these norms would include: turning in work (late work accepted), participating in class (actively listening counts), showing up (simply try), etc. It’s important to have classroom norms, so students know what the expectations for the class are. I’d start off my setting the conversation with these expectations, so that Kristina knows them, and knows where I’m coming from.

2.) “Ask a question” - I want to get to the root at why Kristina is not turning in her work, and especially, why she seems disengaged in class. Because I want all of my students to enjoy class. These are some of the questions I’d ask: How are you doing in general (emotional, mental, social)? Do you have support systems in your life? Do you feel comfortable in class? What do you like about class? What do you dislike about class? Are you not turning in work because you don’t understand how to do it, because you don’t want to, or why? I don’t want to penalize her, but figure out how we can remedy the situation. How can I help you engage? How can I help you complete your work? What do we need to set up? Do you need to come in during office hours?

3.) “Make it personal” - Lastly, I think bringing in a personal element allows me to get to know Kristina better, but also her getting to know me better. I want to build a rapport with students, and by letting them into my life a little bit, that can happen. I struggled with engaging in school, and I often didn’t turn work in my first couple years of high school. What ended up happening was that I was too lazy to do the work, but eventually, because I didn’t, I had to catch up, and that was challenging. It made me feel dumb. Giving up seemed easier than catching up. Sharing these stories of my own experiences, it is my hope that Kristina will feel more inclined to share her story, and why things are the way they are for her. 

Shift 1) Adopt a social Emotional Lens and Shift 2) Know your students and develop cultural competency.

This scenario depicts boundary issues that encompass many components of the classroom environment (students and teachers). When looking at aggressive behavior it is important to approach it with empathy and to be thinking of the who, what, where, when, and why. Who is it affecting/who is involved, what is the result of the behavior, where is it occurring(setting), when it is occurring (after an action/event?) and why the behavior occurring? Analyzing behavior requires a lot of intrinsic and extrinsic evaluation. Though this aggressive behavior could often be seen as a cry for help or attention, it would prompt me to think about viewing this scenario through an emotional lens. I would also like to incorporate analyzing cultural competency. There are many reasons, rarely just one, for individuals to lash out. Students’ behaviors can be challenging, however because of the school setting it can be more easily monitored (from class to class) and trends can be observed.

Once verbal abuse becomes a pattern it can sometimes lead to physical abuse. Before addressing the situation head-on, it would be important to approach the situation with a calm and collected mindset. If needed, having a backup plan such as another staff member, school nurse, or school counselor/social workers are great resources. Finding out what needs are not getting met by the aggressor and finding out what is troubling them would be a good way to provide simple empathic care. Analyzing one’s own behavior and the setting of the classroom may also provide a calm atmosphere to deal with this confrontation. Most of all, when talking/discussing with this student having clear expectations of behavior while at school, not just in the classroom will be need to be addressed. Ensuring that when talking to the student that you are on their eye level, not standing or towering over the student is needed. Informing the student about their actions that are occurring and their impact on others in relation to causing stress, trauma, and an uneasy learning environment may be needed. It is especially important when talking with the parents of the child about your (teacher) concern about the impact of the student’s behavior on other students and staff.

I would talk to this student and information them about the class expectations and how I am concerned about them and for the safety of myself and others in the class because of the aggressive words and physical actions. I would also inform the student that we can talk after class and that if the student wasn’t unable to do this that this student could go to the counseling office or our classroom library. 

 

It is challenging to get the vibe and energy in this situation since it is so brief, however, I believe that providing options for the student would be a good resource. Options to take a break from the day to go to a designated area, or ask the student themselves what they do when they feel upset at home. The challenges I see being faced here are not to single out the student or to cast out the student. This could be done by simply asking the students what’s going on, or even using an example of what I do when I feel angry i.e. go for a walk. When I was really upset/angry in High school, one of my teachers gave me some quarters and I went and got myself and the teacher a soda and it actually strengthens the bond I had with the teacher and was able to take a responsible break from class.

The challenge that would be faced would be trusting the student to take the time to preform self care responsible i.e. go for a walk, read in class etc.
The other risk is that this student could potentially become a threat to the safety of other's, which is very important. I have found that honesty is a great quality when it comes to handling aggressive behaviors and safety as well as keeping communication open. By keeping communication open, we are able to learn more effectively from one other and understand one another.

Action Plan

SHIFT 2
Know Your Students
and Develop Cultural
Competency

I chose this action plan because I think there is more of deeper issue going on with Kristina. Her home life could be in shambles. She may not have enough time to focus on school work, or if her parents work a lot then Kristina may have to watch her younger siblings. As a teacher, I would try to talk to Kristina one on one and see if she would open up to me. Will she let me in? If that doesn't work, then I would reach out to the parents and talk to them and see how home life is and explain Kristina's behavior in class and see if the three of us could find a solution to where all parties are happy.

SHIFT 4
Move the Paradigm From
Punishment to Development

I chose this action plan because I felt this was the next best option. I wouldn't punish Kristina for not participating in class or not turning in her homework because again, I may not know what she is dealing with in her personal life. For participation, again, I would approach her one on one and see if there was anything that I could do to make her want to participate more. As for her not turning in her homework, I would mark it as incomplete, but allow her to make up the work. My CT has this approach in his class and even if students turn in their assignments late or don't turn it in at all, he gives them all opportunities to complete the assignments. I think this is a good approach because growing up I was always taught "if homework is late, then it's late. You can't make it up."

Strategies For Intervention

Shared Inquiry and Dialogue
"Rethinking Participation Norms"

I know that Kristina wasn't participating and wasn't turning in her homework, but I think this intervention could work because as I said before, when I was in school, I was taught if you don't participate (as in speak up) then you lose participation for the day. I think teachers need to take a step back and re-evaluate how they define participation because some students may get anxiety if they have to read in front of the class or go up to the white board and solve a math problem. I think as the teacher continues to create an inclusive community, Kristina will begin slowly participating in small groups and with time showing better progress.

Social and Emotional Safety
"Classroom Contracts"

I think this will be a good way to create classroom norms at the beginning of the school year, not only for the whole class, but also Kristina. I think if she see's the norms and her and her classmates come up with the classroom norms than all students can be held accountable. This could even lead them to want to participate more, but not in the "typical" ways of participating. When these classroom contracts are created by the students it can also help establish a socially and emotionally safe classroom.

You have a student in your class who often uses offensive and inappropriate language.  He has a reputation that follows him and labels him as a “loudmouth”, “annoying as hell!”, and “just a jerk!”. You are aware that several of his peers are intimidated by him because he might make them the target of his attention. You notice that lately you are increasingly anxious as you have to deal with this student every day.  Today he walks right in, slams his stuff on the desk, and loudly exclaims “I f’n hate this school!”.

I chose this scenario as it can be very common in any school and could lead to the other scenarios if not addressed. Students labeled by their peers struggle to redefine themselves in the eyes of their peers and can start to give in to those labels. Any teacher in this scenario must give the student the tools they need for effective personal development and to rebuild the way students engage with one another. This can be accomplished through the following critical shifts and strategies. 

Strategy: Addressing Conflicts and Hurt Feelings “It is also helpful for teachers to check in with students who seem upset as a result of a class activity or conversation.” - Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education 10

Shift: Move the paradigm from punishment to development “Can [the student] and I come up with a signal to let me know he is feeling stressed and needs a three-minute cool down?” - Code of Conduct 23

Teachers who show compassion to their students can create a space where the student can successfully work towards positive personal development. An educator can show students they care for them by checking in regularly and noticing when they seem upset from a class activity. To take it one step further, the teacher could employ the use of simple communication between the student and themselves so the student can be excused from the class activity to focus on being a good participant in the class community. This can manifest itself as a signal the student gives the teacher to take a timed break, work on another activity/assignment, take a short walk, etc. These must be predetermined by the student and teacher together once the strategy of addressing their emotions, how it affects their learning, and how the student can be successful is agreed upon.

Strategy: Teaching Active Listening Skills “Active listening behavior includes asking good questions, listening without judgment and paraphrasing. These behaviors can be modeled through the use of talking circles or ordered sharing.” - Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education 10

Shift: plan and deliver effective student centered instruction “How can I differentiate my instruction to better meet [the student’s] needs and tap his strengths?” - Code of Conduct 22

Students in this classroom community have created labels for a student and that student is unable to ignore those labels. Using the active listening skills strategy, students will be able (with time) to create discussions and come to understandings from the events in their classroom community. The teacher needs to start scheduling talking circles or classroom meetings into their lessons to give their students this opportunity. The teacher must also practice and model the active listening skills they expect from their classes. This activity will lead to students connecting better with one another and the class they share. The teacher needs to step back once the students have a good understanding of classroom meetings so the students can be free to talk about the issues that are bothering them. This will give each person the space and support they need when struggling with a conflict. In the case of the student in the scenario, that conflict may be the teacher’s class. The teacher needs to shift their understanding of the lessons they give and listen to each student’s needs and struggles with the lessons. When proper listening skills are used in classroom meetings, students can grow as individuals and a community, all while the teacher can better understand how to create lessons that focus on their students strengths. 

Personal Reflection Prompts
In order to address my first critical shift of “Adopt a Social Emotional Lens,” it is important to find ways to make connections with Kristina, in order to understand what’s going on in her world and also find opportunities to engage with her interests in the classroom. Personal Reflection Prompts offer a gateway to explore some of these topics through a fairly-accessible classroom activity. While she may not be engaging with the curriculum in our class, she can share a personal reflection for an in-class assignment. This could also be scaffolded depending on writing skills to allow for different formats, such as a drawing, song, or other modes of expression. By having her open up in some manner, it allows us to develop a stronger connection and hopefully begin to foster a deeper social and emotional understanding.

Both of these strategies aim to scaffold our classroom activities, in order to find different opportunities for Kristina to engage, while also not singling her out from the rest of the class. Tiered activities would be one strategy to deliver more student-centered instruction, as well as move the paradigm from punishment to development. Rather than give Kristina a task she feels she can’t complete, I can offer her a scaffolded version of the activity, so she can participate alongside the rest of her classmates and feel a greater sense of belonging without making a special fuss over her.

Alternatively, offering an activity in different modalities may be another solution to incorporate Kristina’s personal interests into our curriculum. As mentioned with the Personal Reflection, it is a simple solution to allow students to express themselves in different formats or modes of expression. Perhaps Kristina is passionate about music, art, or theater and would feel more inspired doing a writing assignment in one of those formats. After having the opportunity to learn more about her passions and interests, I can begin differentiating activities and lesson plans to work in modalities that speak to her strengths. Just because Kristina doesn’t enjoy or thrive in the formats I assign doesn’t mean she needs to be punished. Instead, we should look for compromises and solutions to let her connect with the material on her own terms.

Scenario 2: “Stephanie is in your third-period class. When she fully participates in lessons and activities, the class runs smoothly and all students remain engaged for the entire period. Today, however, she is defiant, refusing to do her work and disrupting class with inappropriate language. She doesn’t respond to verbal redirection.”

Shift 1: “Adopt a social emotional lens” - Students are emotional/social beings that need their emotional and social wellbeing considered when addressing disruptive behavior. Failure to do so may end up elevating the students emotional state and further escalating confrontation. The fact that the student is not disruptive everyday makes me believe that this scenario requires this particular shift to address the components that are actually at play and to not take the behavior as a personal act of rebellion. 

Shift 2: “ Know your students and develop cultural competency” - Secondly, it is important to be fully aware of the cultural components at play. The student may not be intending the language or behavior to be inappropriate and disrespectful. The language the student is using in class that the teacher is considering inappropriate may be normal to use in their household. Additionally, there may be some bias by the teacher to interpret what words are appropriate or inappropriate for students to use in the classroom. Considering cultural differences further supports the notion that the student is not using this behavior as a personal act of rebellion. 

When considering this scenario, we must consider the students emotional state at this time. The student is not responding to verbal instruction, making me think that approaching a conversation at this time may not be helpful. However, in the long term action plan, we should have a conversation about the students behavior at some point. To approach the situation, we must think of it as a proactive measure before the situation takes place, immediate action, and follow-up actions we can take.

Proactive Action:
The teacher can work on building norms in the classroom in order to have a standard classroom culture to reference back to during disruptive situations. The teacher should also review any personal biases they have and reflect on triggering moments in their classroom. Additionally, the teacher could build rapport with the students and get to know them to be able to better help them during crises. Lastly, the teacher should be able to integrate social emotional learning in the warmups during class. This can include students sharing how they are feeling at the beginning of class, students building emotional skill sets, and building emotional assets in the classroom like belongingness and confidence. These strategies help facilitate conflict resolution for the long term.

Immediate Action:

The teacher can address the students emotional needs by using the “ask a question” strategy. The teacher can ask the student what is upsetting them to help the student move into the headspace that is conducive to learning. The teacher can ask what the student needs as far as support goes. The student may need some space and a break from the environment, so the teacher may use the “stall technique”. The stall technique may look like telling the student it is okay to step out if they need a break or allowing the students to have 10 minutes to listen to music and draw to calm down. Lastly, the teacher can use the “education strategy” to inform Stephanie about the importance of engaging in the learning and how the material relates to their life. The student may feel more motivated to engage and respond to verbal prompts if they understand why they are being told to do something. 

Follow-up Action:
The teacher should wait to address the behavior more sternly until the audience has been removed. The teacher can schedule a follow-up conversation with the student or wait until after class to talk to the student. The teacher should still approach this conversation from a friendly and warm position. The issue should be framed as the student and teacher against the problem verses against each other. Policy can be used to validate the teachers claims and norms can be referenced as an example of how behavior should be modeled. The teacher can assume the best of the student, saying that they know they didn’t mean for it to be disruptive or inappropriate, but call it out as it is by verifying that it was, in fact, disruptive. The teacher can address any part of the immediate action where they were emotional and model emotional awareness. This may include making the interaction personal by addressing how the situation made the teacher feel. Finally, the student and the teacher should create a plan of action to mitigate any future disruption, including what the student needs emotionally in those situations. 

Kristina is a student in your class.  You don’t know this student very well, she is very quiet and rarely talks to her classmates, makes comments, or asks questions.  She often seems to be disengaged in what is going on in the classroom.  She does not turn in assignments, and when she is asked claims that, “I did it, but it’s at home”.  You are not getting much support from admin on this one because there really isn’t anything they can do at this point, and parents haven’t been very helpful with being involved.

Shift 2: Know your students and develop cultural competency 

Since we do not know much about Kristina, it is possible there are things going on at home that are out of her control. Traumas she is experiencing at home may cause her to isolate in the classroom, come to school tired and potentially unfed, and a variety of other issues that are more important for her body to focus on than lessons. As for not turning in homework, it's possible that Kristina does not have any support with work at home. In addition, she may have care tasks at home that keep her occupied for the majority of the evening. Is Kristina new at the school? Has she made any new connections or is she still navigating her way through a new school? 

Shift 3: Support effective student centered instruction

Saying Kristina frequently seems disengaged in class makes me wonder what a typical day looks like in class. Is this a lecture based class or does she have the opportunity to work together in small groups, move around the classroom, and engage with a variety of materials? For many students being talked at rather than talked with is not an effective way to take in information. As teachers we may be doing things that do not sit well with our students without realizing. Because of this, it is important to provide them with an opportunity to provide feedback and remain anonymous if they choose. This gives us a better understanding of the students as individuals and how each of them are taking in the information we are trying to get across. 

Social and Emotional Safety 

Far too often, students view their teachers as an authority figure rather than a source of support. Rather than trying to find control in the classroom with authority, a more inclusive approach is to establish a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. In addition to building trust with you [the teacher] students must also build a trusting relationship with their peers. Giving them time to get to know each other and understand that their peers are there as a source of support rather than negativity can help students open up as well. 

Shared Inquiry and Dialogue 

What does it mean to say that “she often seems to be disengaged”? Is it possible that she simply feels left out of the conversation and has not had an opportunity to contribute in a way that feels safe to her? In many cases the classroom (especially math) is a space students are taught to sit and listen rather than contribute to conversation. Encouraging collaboration and setting clear guidelines about how you expect students to do so can help reestablish an interactive experience. 

"You are a new teacher at a public K-8 school in Portland. You are concerned about a student in your 6th-grade class that has been absent several times during the semester. Most days of the week the student shows up 5 -10 minutes late and sometimes doesn’t come to school at all. This student is not able to complete the work that is assigned, and even with extensions will not turn anything in. The principal wants you to call home and talk with parents, but the teachers that have had this student tell you that “the parents are no help”

 

Nothing is wrong with the student however they may not be in an environment that engages them nor supports their strengths. It will most likely improve the students' performance if the teacher gets to know them and learns how to be present/assess the material. If the student is late every day because their previous teacher lets them out late it seems the student is doing nothing wrong however the teacher would not know that without getting to know them. Sometimes students just need little adjustments or support to help them scaffold the material and gain something out of it. 

 

I am all for restorative justice and the idea of not thinking, "What's wrong with that kid", but instead "what happened to that kid". It is important to take into account the reason and environment that produce the student to behave in such way. As a teacher, we should set individual goals for each student as they vastly change in interests and learning styles. Educators should allow the student to take more ownership of their education and lives. Not every kid grows up in a safe, respectful, and loving family thus they should be given equitable treatment that allows that equal opportunities. Punishment is focused on equality and giving everyone fair treatment which is wrong compared to equity which focuses on relevance and the individual. Students should be looked at as future "factory workers" like in the '20s-'30s, instead, they should be looked at as thriving and contributing members of society. 

I would create a student-centered learning plan with the student if the parents were unresponsive. I say student-centered because I want student choice to be a big part of the students learning plan. The student will have multiple options for assignments and other classroom activities that they think will be most productive for them. The lessons can even be recorded for the student to watch at a later time if in-person instruction is difficult for them to sit through. I also will be sure to include all of their other instructors and classes in the plan so that students can have more consistency. I would be very honest with the student about what I expect out of him and offer my email as a resource for messaging if the student ever needed to talk and was not at school that day. 

From what it sounds like there have been attempts to have a phone meeting with the students' parents however I think it would be much more productive to have an in-person meeting with the family either at school or at the family's home. I think it would be the most productive option as I would come ready with a learning plan with a list of objectives and alternatives for the student to try. I also would provide the student with resources and assignments that can supplement the time they missed during class and devote a certain time of the day to help tutor the student if wanted. I want to be sure that I do not create stress or turmoil for the student at home so it is important for the teacher before the meeting to think of some positive things about the student to share. I think all of my strategies play a minor role compared to the most important part of the action plan... consistency. It is essential for the student to receive consistent attention from the teacher and to take part in check ins and reflections with the teacher to make sure the action plan is making a productive action. Actions speak louder than words. 

"The social media atmosphere for several of the cliques of girls on the middle school campus is hostile.  There have been reports of cyberbullying that you hear about from other teachers and some students (some incidents have gone to admin). You have become aware of a couple of female students who are on their phones (so they don’t notice you) looking at a post and exclaiming, “what a f’ing slut! I can’t believe she goes here!” 

Adopting the 4th shift would take this situation and turn it into a teaching moment rather than moving straight to punishment for bad behavior. Sending to these girls to the principal and getting them expelled is not a compassionate response and it doesn’t solve the issue of why it happened. This could be a life-changing moment for those girls to work on empathy, reflect on their actions, and understand the impact they have on each other. This shift has the potential to lead to some serious character development and make them better people.

This situation would benefit from adopting Shift 5 which directly diverts the flow from the school to prison pipeline. There are cases when cyberbullying is illegal and the police have to be involved (ex., stalking, hate crimes, privacy violations, threats of violence, sexually explicit messages/photos), but this doesn’t seem to be one of them. Cyberbullying creates a disruption in the school environment and the last thing that needs to happen is criminalize it and create a sense of resentment towards the school and cause them to disengage. This shift not only keeps their relationship with school a positive one so they keep coming back, but it keeps them out of the system.

Use the stall technique from Seven Strategies for Interrupting Hateful Language

If I overheard language like that, my first reaction would to use the stall technique. It can be hard to remember that when you see something that goes against the rules, that immediate action isn’t always necessary. More than once I’ve been emotionally triggered and had to remind myself that I can take time prepare a response.  When moments like these happen, I usually say something like, “Whoa, that’s not okay! I really don’t like what I just heard and we need to have a conversation about it, but not right now. Let me think about it and we’ll talk later.” That way I have a minute to cool down, think about the next steps, and address the student once I am no longer in that emotional state. I don't want to be the teacher that loses their cool around my students so I think the stall technique is totally appropriate in this situation.

Explicit Anti-bullying or Community-Building Curricula from TT Critical Practices

Every student has the right to be safe from stereotype threat, harassment, and exclusion. Since there have been previous reports of cyberbullying and some of them have gone to the administration, I would use the strategy of doing a little research to find out what has been done about it and if there is explicit anti-bullying curricula. I would try to see if the school taken an open stance to bullying or released an anti-bullying statement, and if it includes cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the hardest to catch because it happens in a place that adults can’t see which you could argue makes it the most potentially harmful. If it’s not already in the school curriculum, I would recommend the school adopts a firm anti-discrimination/bullying stance that addresses cyberbullying to protect students, help them know the steps to take if they see it, and hopefully prevent it from happening in the future.

“You are a teacher working in an urban public school with a class size of 37. You like to have students work in groups and in partnerships, but because of social dynamics there seems to always be one student that is hard to place. Many students tell you that they don’t want to work with this student, and when you do put them into a group there is inevitably a blow-out (preempted by a trigger for this individual). In class today when the student had a blow-out, they destroyed the work that the group had done.”

I would use this one to look at how the student was learning and how they learn the best. It seems clear that this student does not work well in a group, and so an immediate remedy would be to have them start doing activities individually. Long term, it would be important to see if they had an IEP or a 504, as well as talking with the school counselors to see if they know anything about the student and their behavioral challenges. It would also be beneficial to offer independent learning options from there on out. While this student is the only one causing obvious problems when in groups, other students might also work better if they have the option to do work alone. 

I think that it is important to look at this student's cultural background. This could easily be affecting how they are participating in class, as well as responding to other students. It would also be important to look at the biases that my students might have themselves towards the other student. This shift also talked about trauma informed teaching. It is important to think about how the student might have trauma that is being triggered when working in a group. 

Seven Strategies for Interrupting Hateful Language:
1. Use the stall technique
It would be important in the moment to take a “time out” and give everyone some breathing room. This way, the students are able to hopefully calm down and be able to think rationally about the situation and be able to find a new situation. 

It would be important either in the moment or after the cooldown that the student is reminded of what the policies of the classroom and the school are. Hopefully this will help the student to put into perspective that they are not being singled out, I am just implementing the classroom/school policies. 

This would be very important for this student. They really need to have a more personalized education experience, as they need more support than others. 

As you are gathering your set of 50 art markers for an activity, you notice that each one of the marker tips has been cut off/destroyed. Upon further investigation, you happen to notice all of the marker tips in a student’s desk.”

    Shift 1: Adopt a Social Emotional Lens

“What do I want my behavior to convey to my students?”

    When gathering my supplies and finding each of my markers purposely damaged the natural reaction is anger. When finding them all in one student’s desk a sensible gut reaction is to point that anger to them and bring down the high-holy-hammer, and fulfill that sense of transactional justice. However, that does not account for my student’s lived experience and perspective, nor does it fix my markers. While that may set a clear behavioral boundary, it also cements a specific rule: Do Not Cut My Markers. This does not transfer to a larger framework of classroom respect.

    I don’t simply want this student punished for acting out- I want something much worse. I want this student dto have a one-on-one conversation with me where we can discuss the base motivator of their actions. I want them to know I’m not going to take the easy way out and advocate for suspension (sic.: vacation), no no, I want them to know that when they misbehave in destructive ways it will not be met with aversive discipline. This student will come to the understanding that they will be faced with an awkward, eye-contact laden conversation that they can’t get out of until they’re honest with me about why they think my class sucks/that they can destroy my belongings.

    Shift 2: Know Your Students and Develop Cultural Competencey

“What do I know about the traumas my students may experience?”

    I have been told a simple phrase in  one context that I have found applies in nearly every aspect of my day-to-day life: Behavior Is Communication. This isn’t to say that every nuanced thought can be expressed through interpretive dance, but that patterns of behavior and actions typically have motivations and opinions that drive them. When a student ruins my markers I don’t believe they just thought “Hey let’s chop these babies up”- I mean, they probably did, but there are factors leading up to that that must be accounted for. If a students has always been sent out into the hall instead of receiving constructive redirection they may think that eve teachers don’t see their curriculum as something everybody needs to learn, or at least not them. Or maybe they lack control at home or in self expressions that what they can do is break things. What this act of marker-mutilation tells me is that they may not respect authority (as is often the case if authority figures abuse define respect as “You treat me as ineffable, I’ll treat you as a subordinate”), and that my class does not engage them enough. Either way their needs are not met.

4) Assume the best

    Yes, at the end of the day I have 50 markers that are potentially ruined. However, I know growing up I had no idea teachers bought so many of their supplies- I just assumed the school paid for them and that they wouldn’t be missed. My first step would be to ask the student if they knew I bought those markers, and so I feel protective of them and want “my things” taken proper care of- I’m happy to share if we can treat them well. Having talked with them I could get a better idea if this was a personal vendetta, or just mindless action. If it wasn’t pointed at me I might see it as a need to release pent-up aggression “Have you considered joining, or maybe the wrestling team?”. While in class they may be my dedicated manual paper shredder (to avoid copyrighted material being redistributed, a frequent need in music), or just to hand things out to get their body engaged and leave them less unsupervised down-time.

Strategy 5: Ask a question

    Obviously my class is not an environment where their heart sings and they are bursting with love. Not everyone likes choir- but what can we do to make this class bearable for you? If you don’t want to sing as much, you could help around the classroom. I need someone to play the maracas for this song- could you do that for me? Was the physical act of destroying the markers the draw for you? If it was I might find other things that I need taken care of, like boxes that need to  get broken down. At that point if they are the only student with a problem then we need to work together to find something that works. Choir isn’t something you can force a kid to do- math and English are doable, but to make someone who feels self-conscious get up on a literal stage in a dorky get up smile and sing is constitutionally prohibited as cruel (lame choreography) and unusual (sequin vests) punishment. There has to be some give on BOTH our parts.

As you are
gathering your set of 50 art markers for an activity, you notice that each one
of the marker tips has been cut off/destroyed. Upon further investigation, you
happen to notice all of the marker tips in a student’s desk.

Action plan: When I first read this scenario, I think about how these students have seen teachers come-and-go and how this must affect them. I see that many of my students would have taken their teachers leaving personally and that they have probably experienced this type of abandonment before in their homes or lives. It is because of this that I have made it my duty to use many of the tools in my toolbox including: using trauma-informed practices, developing community, and honoring student voice by designing lessons that are culturally responsive. I know that there has been a lot of trust lost between my students and their educators because of how each teacher personally has influenced them and the let-down of the educational system in general. I have used my personality and these teacher moves to build the community and trust and feel like I’m making progress with my teacher-student relationships.

When I see that my markers have been intentionally tampered with, I become immediately concerned and confused. I either use the markers that are salvageable, use other coloring tools, or decided to change I present my lesson for the day or make it for the next class period. I don’t bring attention to the issue and give it the possible attention that the defacer might be seeking. I know that I need to do my best to keep my cool and do some further investigation to see if I can find out more. When I find the marker tips in a student’s desk . . .

1^st: I ask myself, “Did this student do this, or did someone else put them there?”

2^nd: I ask the student to hang back after class, if that makes sense scheduling-wise. If not, I will find a more appropriate time to talk to them.

3^rd: When I do get a chance to talk to the student, I don’t blame them for the incident, I instead ask them if they know what happened and if they did it. I understand that the student may lie, but I use my best judgement with my knowledge of the student from my relationship building to further my investigation. I do not want to begin with biases about the student and immediately accuse them of defacing the markers. I also don’t want to have the bias that I don’t believe that they would do such a thing when there might be a reason that a “good kid” acted out.

4^th: If they didn’t deface the markers, then I would obviously need to further my investigation in other ways, but let’s make this scenario as if they did in fact do this. Let’s assume this is the first time I’ve had this student act out in any way. I use the knowledge of my student from my relationship building that her family has been going through a difficult time and that they have had to take on more responsibility at home. I ask them questions about this and about other aspects of their life. I also ask if there’s anything that I’ve done to make them act in this way. I continue to ask questions without making things a one-sided interview. Ultimately, I ask what the purpose or reason for doing this.

5^th: I next make it personal and tell them how what they did made me feel. I try not to make this moment about centering just myself, but instead to crate a bond and trust with my vulnerability. It is important that I make a point of showing how our actions affect people, but I know that empathy is more difficult to comprehend for high schoolers.

6^th: I explain how doing what they did isn’t going to get them where they want to be nor will get them what they want. I again try and build trust by telling them that anything they need they can come to me and that I will do my best to help them. I tell them that even if it’s just for attention or to get noticed that I can make that happen in a positive way, as well.

7^th: Lastly, I make the shift from punishment to development by not making a bigger deal out of this than it is. If my student shared something with me that needs attention that I can’t give, then I would tell someone that could help, but not for punishment. Otherwise, I will tell them that I hope that we can show mutual respect for each other in the future and try to put their energy elsewhere. If it seems appropriate, then I would engage them more directly in class and give them more time to be highlighted. There’s a good chance in a scenario like this that a student could feel neglected emotionally at home and then going through teachers that give up on you and want to act out and be noticed. It’s all about what the reason is behind their behavior to say how I would change my practice, but those are just some of the general ways I can think of the conversation going.

Shift 2 – Know your students and develop cultural competency: I have worked on building my relationships with my students since I arrived at this school and use that to relate and question the student. I also use this to promote trust and vulnerability so that they can be honest with me. This informs me that there could be something going on at home and maybe a more direct line of questioning could be useful. I use this to also recognize my biases about my student and the situation because of my true knowledge of the student.

Shift 4 – Move the paradigm from punishment to development: At the end, I mention this specifically. There are very few things the student could have said to me to think this scenario needs more punitive intervention than just a human conversation. Especially if this is their first infraction with me, there’s no reason to get anyone involved. I try and use the knowledge I gain from this situation to inform my practice and try to make accommodations to my lessons with them in mind.

Make it personal: I believed in this situation that the most powerful thing I could do is to explain how people get hurt when things like this happen and, in the end, you still don’t get what you want. It is important for people to see outside of themselves and see how they affect others. I also use this to be vulnerable and build trust and openness in the conversation.

Ask a question: I make sure to not accuse the student of anything and allow them to be heard. It is more important that I listen to them and find out the root of the problem than it is for me to be heard and assume how the student feels or thinks.