3. The different types of traumas there are.

-Creating an inclusive, safe and comfortable environment for your students.

-Knowing how important it is to implement clear and direct language and expectation for students.

*Learning the differences between positive and negative stress so that in my classroom students are not subject to the negative stress.

*Knowing the different types of traumas and how I can make my learning environment as trauma free as possible. My school is trauma informed, but we need to find a way to be trauma invested.

Trauma especially in children affects them mentally and it will show up in their behavior. However, trauma is how our body reacts.

Stress can be both positive and negative.

It is important to know your students in order to be able to meet their needs. Creating a safe nest will promote better learning.

How to manage a classroom with students with disabilities. Having a set schedule and organization is very important.

Students can’t control everything going on in their lives. It’s important to support them and let them know that you’re there for them.

It’s good to know what accommodations your student needs so you can help them the best way possible. For example some students need fidget toys to focus more or extra help with certain assignments.

-Be what you want to see: model the behavior that you want to see from students (kindness, patience, generosity, etc)

-Positive vs. Toxic stress: while positive stress can be a healthy challenge, toxic stress weighs on the mind and endangers the receiver physically/mentally/both

-A child's environment fine tunes the brain! Teachers are not superhero's, but they are to be a safe space for students (a viaduct in the rain if you will)

2). Shy students, never to force them to participate in class. Wait until they are ready.

3). Stress, there is a negative stress and positive stress. The positive stress will help you succeed. On the other hand, the negative stress, causes disease, death, and other causes of lack.

2.)Sometimes we forget that children go through things too.

3.)It is important to watch our words and the way we treat children because they are always watching. 4.)Trauma is passed down through DNA and it is our job to break generational curses.

·       Recognizing that cultural differences can impact self-awareness and self-management is crucial period my takeaway is to adopt an inclusive approach that respects various perspectives when teaching social skills. This involves understanding how different cultures and backgrounds might influence the student’s expression of emotions, conflict resolution styles, and social interactions. Tailor made my approach to be sensitive to these differences ensure that all my students feel understood and can effectively learn and practice social skills.

·       Fostering a cooperative and empathetic classroom culture beyond direct instructions, creating a classroom culture that naturally promotes empathy, kindness, and cooperation is a key take away. This involves modeling these behaviors myself and designing a classroom with routines and group work that encourage positive interactions. By making these values visible and practicing part of the classroom environment, I can help students internalize stronger, more supportive relationships with their peers. I will also implement aces in the classroom. Intentionally, providing those who have been through challenging circumstances and times that they have a safe space to acquire their needs and wants within a positive learning environment.

One self-care goal of mine when it comes to a mental goal is reconnecting with nature such as siting in a park or sitting outside or as simple as just getting fresh air to help clear my mind off of stuff

One self-care goal of mine when it comes to a emotional goal is always make time for my friends, even if its something small like getting drinks just talking to each other and sharing laughs is essential.

physical aspect is to continue to go to the gym atleast 4 times a week like I have been doing. Working out is a form of relieving stress and clearing my mind while at the same time working on becoming stronger.

Mental aspect of my action plan also includes the gym. I also want to incorporate meditation in the morning before I start my day and at the end of my day before bed even if it's only 5 minutes.

Emotional aspect of my action plan is to allow myself to feel all the feels. For example, I can be very hard on myself for being sensitive and everything makes me cry lol. Trying to find ways to center and calm down before having an adult meltdown.

Mental Goal: One of my favorite hobbies has always been reading, but due to always being busy I have not had the chance to. For October, I will read one new book even if it means reading a chapter a night.

Emotional Goal: I will journal for 5 to 10 minutes a day, 3 times a week to reflect on my mood and something that I am grateful for. I will also write something that I did well that day, and something that I could do better as well.

Goal 1 ( Mental) : My goal is to keep my mind at ease with staying organized, focused and driven. I tend to procrastinate so if I stay focused and organized it will help me ease my mind and do what I need to do with little stress.

Goal 2 ( Physical ) : To stay on mu fitness journey. I have been lifting and on a fitness journey coming up on 3 years now and my goal is to stick to it and to adjust where I need to to be at my goal strength and weight.

Goal 3 ( Emotional ) : A goal of mine is to stay strong and to keep adressing areas that bother me or that cause concern. I struggle sometimes with staying quiet in situations that I have feelings towards or keeping things in and pile on top of one another. The goal is to stay open and honest and address things in that moment it happens.

Mental Goal: My mental goal is to spend at least 3 hours a week doing arts & crafts because it's something I love doing.

Emotional Goal: My emotional goal is to do at least 1 minute of positive affirmations every morning.

To achieve these goals, I'm going to hold myself accountable and I'm also going to have my friend hold me accountable.

Jasmine Cobstill - The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell

Daija Brown: Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o

Kendi Freelain: "Who Are You?" by Smitri Halls

Amaya Lacey- In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek

Bayan Haleem- The Invisible String: Patrice Karst

Teiona Mallett- Last stop on Market Street by Matt De LA Pena

Raven Sherrod- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Mental Goal: My mental goal is to spend a few hours coloring because I find it relieves my stress and calms my mind down a lot. I also want to try meditation more frequently.

Emotional Goal: My emotional goal is to put my emotions before others and find ways to express my emotions rather than bottling them up.

Write one realistic goal for physical, mental and emotional.

Physical: I love working out. It helps everything in my opinion. I will push to workout at least 20 minutes 3-5 days of the week.

Mental: Read with my kids after school each day for 20 minutes.

Emotional: Before bed take 10 minutes to just give to myself to meditate and relax by mind and body.

I discussed these goals with my children to help with accountability to completing these goals.

Emotional: Keeping up with my journaling once week, just giving updates and writing down my thoughts. Also, logging how I feel everyday in the morning and at night.

Mental: Keeping track of my screen time, making sure I don't go over a certain amount of hours. Instead of going on my phone, going outside, reading, or picking up any other hobby.

Mental Self-Care Goal

• I will set aside 15 minutes each day to unplug from screens and read, journal, or do a puzzle to give my mind a healthy break.

Emotional Self-Care Goal

• I will check in with myself once a day by naming one feeling I have and writing it down or sharing it with a trusted friend, so I stay aware of and process my emotions.

Mental: A mental goal I would do is being more positive towards myself. I am usually hard on myself, whether it is with school or even just my appearance. Moving forward, I am going to reduce the negative thinking on myself.

Emotional: An emotional goal I have is to not feel anxious or stressed all the time. Even when I have nothing to be worried about, I still feel like I need to accomplish something to make myself feel better. What I am going to do to help that feeling go away is write down what I need to do, or how I am feeling.

I will minimize my intake of chips to only the weekend and do 5-10 minute exercises when i get home from work.

Mental Self Care

I will break my tasks down in manageable tasks to prevent feeling overwhelmed.

I will plan a weekly calendar of what I want to cook for dinner for the week.

I plan to have check in with myself along with my kids daily.

Emotional Self Care

I will plan to write my plans, thoughts, and ideas down in a journal.

I will plan to take 15 minutes out the day to think and reflect on the day.

Mental: A mental goal for myself would be to read more! I have so many books I just can never find the time to sit down and read so finding time to do this for myself would be beneficial for my mental health.

Emotional: An emotional goal for myself would to be find more love for myself. I want to find confidence within myself and love me for me. I am having a daughter in January and I want her to have that love for herself so I think she will be my motivator to love me for me.

Mental self care: Getting off my phone to take time in enjoy hobbies. During my free time I find myself endlessly scrolling. Will try getting off the device for hobbies like reading or crafting for an hour once a day.

Emotional self care: sitting down once a day and intentionally spending time with my cats, as they are most of the time very calming for me. Whether it be via cuddling or playing with them, they always lighten my mood.

Physical: In the summer, I was challenged to do something for myself for a set number of days. Since then, I have kept up that habit: walking. Every day, I go outside for a walk. Not only has it helped me take care of my body, but it has also benefited my mind. Some days, when my thoughts feel scattered, I find myself walking for over 1.5 hours.

Mental: My goal for mental health is to remove anything or anyone that no longer serves a purpose in my life. Whether that’s pieces of clothing, furniture, or even people, I want to surround myself with items and individuals that help me grow as a person.

Emotional: My goal for emotional well-being is to start journaling regularly again. I noticed I was only journaling during rough times, but if I do it more consistently, I can also reflect on the positive and see all the amazing things in my life.

Physical: I will exercise or Strech for 20–30 minutes, 3 times a week. I'd like to fit working out more into my schedule as it helps me with my stress so much.

Mental: I will set aside 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for focused study or reading without distractions. Reading is something I really enjoy but feel I rarely ever have the time to do.

Emotional: Practice one mindfulness or self-care activity daily like journaling, meditation, or talking to a friend. I feel I get so busy with everything else in life my emotional health gets lost in all the chaos.

Physical: A physical self care goal that I have for myself is to get good rest every night. It is difficult being a full time student and working at a school, but I should always find the time to get a good night's rest because it ultimately affects all areas of life.

Mental: I can care for myself mentally by affirming myself each day, and grounding myself in self. I like to do affirmations while I shower, using that time to focus on having positive thoughts.

Emotional: An emotional self care goal that I can set for myself is allowing myself to feel, and giving myself grace. I, like everyone else, have had experiences that cause me to be triggered and it is important to acknowledge these feelings without judgement.

Ways to implement these strategies:

• I feel cards (helps kids to express how they feel with out having to verbalize

• Calm corners for kids to go and calm their bodies and minds

• Asking kids during circle time to give thumbs up or thumbs down

Mental: A mental goal of mine is to just stay focused and driven. I tend to loose track pretty easily and have to catch up but I am trying to stay focused on the tasks at hand.

Emotional: An emotional goal of mine is to just stay happy and to address things that trigger my emotions in a negative way. I am not going to stay quiet and push things aside. I want to keep my self happy and to push out what doesn't

Mental: Instead of journaling once a day I have been journaling once in the morning and once at night.

Emotional: I have been giving myself morning and night affirmations. I will also keep myself on track with my emotions and learning to cope with things that make me upset.

Mental: Setting aside 30 minutes for reading or studying without distractions has been really refreshing. It’s been challenging to stay consistent on busy days, but when I do it, I feel calmer and more productive. I’ve realized that scheduling these moments ahead of time helps me actually stick to them.

Emotional: I’ve been more intentional about taking care of my emotional well-being. Journaling and short mindfulness breaks have made a big difference in how I handle stress. I’m still working on remembering to slow down and check in with myself, but I can tell I’m becoming more aware of my emotions and needs.

Mental: Giving myself grace! I am so hard on my self all the time, and giving myself a moment to just exist without feeling guilty is my goal.

Emotional: I want to keep checking in with myself regularly. I want to reflect on how I am feeling and what is causing these emotions. I think that this will help me to be more in control.

• mental exercises (math games/word games)

• Having set routines

• Thinking before making decisions (big or small)

• Exhibiting self control

Ways to Apply in the Classroom:
I will create a classroom environment where students work together in groups to build social skills and strengthen their thinking skills. When a child is doing well, I will praise their efforts to help build their confidence.

Applying Grit, resilience, and perseverance in my life: 

 Grit:  

• Set long term and short-term goals and see them through 

• Practice self-discipline and remain consistent  

Resilience:  

• Mange my stress with my box breathing 

• Surround myself with supportive and positive people  

perseverance: 

• Stay consistent long enough to see your goal happen 

• Give yourself credit for the things you do right 

Applying in future classroom: 

Grit:  

• Encourage students to set academic and personal goals and see them through 

• Share triumphant stories about people that were faced with adversity but made it through 

Resilience: 

• Reminding the students that failing is just an opportunity to start over and do better. 

• Teach students problem solving skills for life 

Perseverance: 

• Encourage self-reflection skills 

• Teach students to think positively 

For my future classroom, I will highlight grit in all of my lessons. Even though I probably will not be able to create my own curriculum highlighting all the ways to have grit and be a more perseverant person, doesn't mean I cannot show my student how to see in everyday things that we do. I will show them how important it is to get goals and hold yourself accountable for those goals. But I will also praise them for doing the right thing and make them feel good about what they do and say as well.

• Grit:

  • Set long term goals and break them into smaller goals so they can be more achievable.

  • Push through difficult times and keep in mind why I am doing things in order to stay motivated

• Resilience:

  • Try and keep up with self care and meditation to be able to stay calm and think clearly in difficult situations.

  • Focus on what I can control and work on letting go what I can't control

• Perseverance:

  • Keep going even when it gets hard

  • Focus on improvement and effort more than getting it right the fist time.

  In a classroom:

• Grit:

  • Give praise to students who stick with a task even when they are struggling

  • Have students set and track their own personal and academic goals

• Resilience:

  • Make sure students feel emotionally safe enough to take risk and make mistakes

  • Have students reflect on their challenges and how they came out of them

• Perseverance:

  • Help students ways to cope and prevent feeling overwhelmed

  • Acknowledge students who keep trying, even after failure.

Mental: I have not been incorporating meditation to my day like I planned to do so that will be my goal this week.

Emotional: I have been journaling more often and using it as an outlet to debrief and feel all my feels :)

For My Classroom:
Grit will be helping students set personal goals and supporting them in reaching those goals.
Resilience will look like a supportive environment that uplifts all students. Students will be introduced to techniques to express their emotions in a positive way and will understand that they have my support.
Perseverance will look like a never-ending cycle of encouragement. It is easy to shut down when you think nobody is rooting for you, so as an educator, I will always show up for my students.

Classroom: Setting out personal goals. Short/long term, small/big; building on them daily to obtain success. Any failures are learning opportunities/teachable moments that will take you a little bit longer to learn but then qualifies you to try again and again and again if need be. You win by default by continuously showing up with consistent effort.

-Setting short term and long term goals and making sure they are carried out.

-Diving into my passions and facing challenges head on.

Resilience:

-Making self care and building on my strengths as a priority.

-being able to manage my own anxieties and challenges I face. While also learning to move past them.

Perseverance:

-Sticking to my goals and priorities I set for my self and my future.

-When times get hard, to still follow through and find my strength to still get done what I need to for my self and responsibilities. To dig deep

Grit: Set goals and praise myself when I accomplish them.

Resilience: Give myself grace, and vocalize my stress.

Perseverance: When things get tough, allow myself to feel all the emotions but then push forward.

For my classroom

Grit: Teach students how to set goals that are personal to them.

Resilience: Teach students skills/strategies that they can use when they are faced with a problem.

Perseverance: Use affirmations in the classroom.

• Grit:

  • Setting Goals: Creating a list of both short-term and long-term goals for myself is important because it will help me stay motivated and know what I’m working towards. Also knowing why I want to achieve these goals are important to help me stay motivated even when things get hard.

  • Having a positive mindset: Sometimes when I do something wrong or experience a setback, I give up. Reminding myself that giving up isn’t an option is important.

• Resilience:

  • Learning how to work through obstacles: When something doesn’t go as planned I want to learn to stay calm and find a way to work around it.

  • Having a support system: Building a support system to help you when you need it is important so you’re not facing challenges alone. I want to make sure anytime I’m feeling discouraged I have someone by my side.

• Perseverance: 

  • Breaking things up: Breaking big tasks into smaller portions and setting time to complete each portion is something I want to do to help stay balanced with everything.

  • Staying positive: Keeping a positive mindset and staying positive is important to not get discouraged and to know that I can succeed and achieve anything.

Ways to apply to the classroom:

• Grit:

  • Goal Setting: Showing my students that achieving goals are possible if you stay focused and put your mind to it. I want my students to know that they’re capable of anything if they work hard and stay focused.

  • Facing Obstacles: When my students face an obstacle I use those as teachable moments so they know that all obstacles can be faced. I want them to know that failures and setbacks can turn into success is something I want them to see.

• Resilience: 

  • Creating a safe environment: Having an environment where students feel supported and safe if important. I want to make sure my students know that they can come to me if they need extra support and I want to encourage them.

  • Reflecting on the day: I want to encourage my students to reflect on their day so they can see what went well and what didn’t. Identifying what went well, what didn’t go well, how they felt, and what they can do to improve things for next time is important. 

• Perseverance:

  • Teaching students about progress: Reminding students that learning takes time and you might not understand something right away but it’s important to stay focused and to keep working to achieve your goal.

  • Encouraging students: When students want to give up, guiding them to keep going is important. Sometimes students think giving up is the easy way out but showing them that they can achieve their goals if they push through is important.

• _{Set Long-Term Goals:
  I will set personal and professional goals, breaking them into smaller, achievable steps.
  Example: Completing a certification course by studying 30 minutes each evening.}

• _{Practice Positive Self-Talk:
  When facing challenges, I’ll remind myself: “I can handle this” instead of “This is too hard.”}

• _{Reflect and Learn from Mistakes:
  Instead of getting discouraged, I’ll analyze what went wrong and adjust my approach.}

Ways to apply to my classroom:

• Model Grit and Resilience:
  Share real examples of my own challenges and how I overcame them to show students that persistence matters.

• Use “Yet” Language:
  Encourage a growth mindset with phrases like, “You don’t understand it yet.”

• Praise Effort, Not Just Outcomes:
  Recognize students for trying hard and improving, not only for getting the right answer.

• Create Challenge-Based Learning:
  Include hands-on activities that require persistence — like building a tower, writing a story, or solving a puzzle.

• Reflection Circles:
  Have students discuss a time they didn’t give up, what they learned, and how they felt after succeeding.

When I'm feeling stressed, I'll tell myself, I can do this step by step," not I can't do this.

I will make time for hobbies, exercise, prayer/meditation, and rest to keep my mind and body healthy.

Using Grit, Resilience, and Perseverance in the Classroom:

Let students try, change, and try again without being afraid of being embarrassed.

Students can become stronger by helping each other and solving problems together.

Teach kids how to calm down by having them do breathing exercises, go to quiet corners, listen to music, or take breaks to move about.

For myself:

-setting my own goals, both long term and short term

-persistence, making sure I am working on goals even if little by little each day

For my classroom:

-having students set daily/weekly/month goals for themselves, related or unrelated to school

-Model examples for own life for students

Resilience

For myself:

-do not forget about own mental health, remembering you cannot have control about every little thing

-using yoga and mediation when feeling overwhelmed, or simply when I need to shut brain off

For my classroom:

-uplifting students' emotions, goals, and attempts at new things whether successful or not

-teaching the importance of taking a break to recharge: meditation, stretching, brain breaks

Perseverance:

For myself:

-learning to go with the flow. Plans/goals don't always work out and that is okay

-check in and reflect on goal progression

For my classroom:

-having kids talk about their goals with this peers as reflection, how they are feeling about it, if they would change anything, etc

-teach about adaptability, how plans can and will change and that is okay

For myself, I would set long-term professional goals and break them into achievable steps. I would also remind myself regularly why I chose to teach young children and embrace the challenges as growth opportunities rather than setbacks.

In my classroom, I would create goal-setting routines, where the children set small, concrete goals and celebrate progress. I would also build routines that encourage sticking with tasks, such as completing a center activity before moving on to the next.

Resilience:

For myself, i would practice self-care to stay emotionally steady for my students. I would also reflect instead of reacting when things don't go as planned.

In my classroom, I can model clam problem-solving, such as when something breaks or plans change, I will show flexibility instead of frustration. I can also celebrate recovery, such as when a child overcomes frustration or anger, I would highlight their resilience. I can do this by saying something like "You felt upset, but you tried again. That's strong!"

Perseverance:

For myself, I would develop consistent routines that help you stay disciplined, even when motivation fades. I will also use reflective journaling to track progress and recognize how far I've come.

In my classroom, I would scaffold challenging tasks, such as breaking activities into smaller steps so children can experience success along the way. I alos think it's important to incorporate hands-on problem solving to naturally develop perseverance.

Set weekly goals such as no late work, 1 self care night, and no spending money.

Ask myself daily questions that relate to my mental health.

Remind myself of the positive things. Tell myself positive things about myself every morning.

Remind myself that I will make mistakes and nothing can be perfect.

Classroom:

Telling and showing my students that there will be bumps in the road.

Teaching my students how to handle emotions during different situations.

Celebrate every positive in the classroom.

Read stories relating to emotions.

Encourage peer support.

Provide students with self-care journals.

Myself- 

I can use setbacks as motivation instead of feeling sorry for myself 

When I am struggling with something, especially at school, I can use the many resources available to me instead of accepting defeat 

I can create a schedule with time slots to ensure that I am maximizing my time.  

My Classroom-

Have each of my students create short and long term goals for themselves 

Have celebrations after hard tests and assignments to show them that hard work can pay off

Resilience:

Myself- 

Instead of beating myself up for not doing well on a task inside and outside of school, I can acknowledge what happened to see what I did wrong and make a mental note moving forward to be better in that area 

Remind myself that things will not be hard forever! Sometimes we get so caught up in the discomfort of a situation that we forget that nothing lasts forever, and we should try to get what we can out of every challenge and how it can help me to grow stronger. 

My Classroom-

Have sayings that we repeat often out loud like “When things get a little sticky… we bounce back!”

I can demonstrate real scenarios to my students where I share some of my (general) challenges and how I work through them.

Perseverance: 

Myself- 

I can practice perseverance by accepting challenges! I can tell myself that I would not have all of these hard things if I was not able to handle them 

I can also remind myself of why I am doing hard things to keep me motivated (ex. I am in school so that I can be a great teacher)

My Classroom- 

To help my kids to practice perseverance, I can encourage them along the way and celebrate the small wins that lead up to the big ones :) 

I can also help them to remember why THEY are doing hard things and encourage them to individualize (ex. Lila is working on her sculpture so that she can come with us to the art museam”)

I will make sure to set long term goals. I will first find personal or even professional goals that will matter to me. I will also make sure to embrace challenges like reflecting after difficulties and asking myself what I can do differently next time? Importantly, I will celebrate progress by recognizing small wins along the way. I can use them as fuel to keep going during difficult moments.

Applying to classroom:

To start off, I would model grit and resilience by sharing my own stories of overcoming challenges. This will show the students that we also have difficulties in our lives like they do. I will also encourage a growth mindset by praising their effort and persistence over their talents and accomplishments. As the teacher, I would also create an environment where mistakes are viewed as a normal step towards improvement. Lastly, I would make sure to reflect on a regular basis on what strategies helped and which ones need fixing.

When staff try to support or soothe the child, he may spit, hit, or punch teachers as a way of expressing his distress. These behaviors usually last for about an hour before the child begins to settle. After calming down, the child tends to play quietly by himself and prefers to engage with only blocks or magnet tiles. During this time, he avoids interacting with other children and chooses solitary play rather than participating in group activities.

Age: 4-year-old preschooler

Scenario:
During free play, a 4-year-old frequently grabs toys from other children without asking. When another child protests or takes the toy back, the child often yells or pushes. This behavior disrupts playtime and can cause frustration or conflict among peers.

Suggested Strategies:

1. Model and Practice Sharing: Use role-playing with puppets or peers to show appropriate ways to ask for a toy and take turns.

2. Positive Reinforcement: Praise and acknowledge the child when they share or use polite requests. For example, “I noticed you asked nicely to play with the truck—great job!”

3. Visual Cues: Display a “turn-taking” chart to remind children of the expected behavior.

4. Redirect & Offer Choices: If the child becomes frustrated, guide them to another activity or offer a choice of two toys to prevent conflict.

5. Consistent Expectations: Reinforce rules about sharing and gentle hands consistently with the entire class, not just the child in question.

Suggested Strategies:

• Visual time cues: Having a timer so she can see how much time is left for playtime. Another strategy is giving her a warning 5 minutes before clean up to help her prepare for the transition.

• Explaining the expectation and rules: Having a calm conversation with her when she's in a calm mood and explaining to her that cleaning up on time keeps our class schedule on track, and this allows us to have more play time throughout the day. Also letting her know that listening and following directions makes transitions smoother.

• Modeling appropriate behavior: Demonstrating to the student what a proper, successful clean-up routine looks like. Showing the student how to put toys away, and how to transfer to the next activity. Practicing this routine will help build confidence and appropriate behavior.

• Praise: When seeing the student do something good, give her praise so she knows she's doing something right. This is important so she continues this good behavior.

• Music: Playing music during clean-up to make the transition more engaging and fun.

• Offering choices: Asking the student what she would like to clean up first will give her a sense of control.

Age: 4 years old
Scenario: During circle time, a child frequently interrupts by shouting out answers while the teacher is talking or while a peer is still sharing. This causes other children to become distracted and makes it hard for the teacher to complete circle time smoothly.

Suggested strategies:

Use visual cues – Provide an object to hold when it's time to talk.

Teach and practice hand raising - Model how to wait for a turn and practice with the whole class how to raise a quiet hand

One I personally use is when a child who is raising a quiet wants to share I acknowledge them for doing it the correct way. For example, "Thank you (child) for raising a quiet hand to talk, what would you like to share".

A student repeatedly writes or draws on classmates’ assignments, worksheets, or journals during work time.

• Context:

During independent seatwork, one student finishes early and begins wandering around the room. The student starts writing on other children’s papers, sometimes “fixing” their work, sometimes doodling, and sometimes adding answers. Classmates become upset, and the learning environment is disrupted.

• Roles:

• Teacher

• Child A (student writing on others’ work)

• Child B (student whose work was altered)

• Goal:

Practice redirecting behavior, reinforcing personal workspace boundaries, and using logical consequences ( practicing “ask before touching,” giving structured early-finisher tasks).

The child shows strong creativity and leadership but has difficulty with flexibility, turn-taking, and collaborative play, often leading to emotional outbursts.

Proactive classroom organization: This involves creating a physical, predictable environment that fosters independence and minimize disruptions through labeled storage, clear routines, and designated interest areas. This could look like labeling everything in the classroom, having designated areas, consistent routines, and creating a few simple, positive, and easy to understand rules such as "we use gentle hands".

Proximity control: This involves strategically positioning yourself near a child to non-verbally guide behavior, reinforcing expectations without direct confrontation. This can be done by standing next to a toddler that's beginning to grab toys, walk around the room when children start getting loud (active supervision), or standing close by a student who is distracted during circle time to offer a gentle reminder through your presence.

In the classroom this looks like giving the students positive verbal feedback, its more than saying “good job” rather “I see that you worked so hard on this, it was hard, but you didn’t give up.” It can also look like giving the children tokens or rewards, it can be something like filling up a heart jar (bucket filler) and then once its full they get a tangible reward. (ages 4-8)

Proactive classroom organization:

In the classroom this looks like creating an organized space for the students, setting rules and expectations for centers, setting student expectations and teacher expectations as a class. Being involved in the children learning not only with lesson planning but actively engaging with the students during their free play. (ages 3-8)

Transitions and routines: In the classroom this looks like setting an interactive daily schedule, reviewing the schedule daily. Going back to the schedule during transitions. Setting the rules for each activity or center, modeling the schedule and rules to the students. (all ages)

During independent writing time, I notice two students whispering and not working. I quietly walk over to their table while still helping other students. As soon as I stand next to them, they stop talking and pick up their pencils. I kneel down and say softly, “Show me the sentence you are working on.” They refocus without me having to stop the whole class.

2. Direct Instruction (First Grade)

Before starting a math lesson on telling time, I bring the class to the carpet and show them a large teaching clock. I say, “Watch me,” and move the hands to make 3:00. I talk through each move: “The short hand is the hour hand. The long hand is the minute hand.” Then I do a second example and let the students move their own mini clocks with me step by step. After that, they go back to their seats to try a few problems independently.

3. Positive Reinforcement Strategies (First Grade)

As we get ready to line up for lunch, I say, “I notice students who are standing quietly.” I spot one student doing it correctly and say, “Thank you, Jordan, for having your hands at your sides and facing forward.” More students begin showing the same behavior. When the whole class is ready, I place a star on our class chart toward an extra five minutes of recess on Friday.

Age: 6 years old (1st grade)

When a 6-year-old is given free writing time and told to write two lines about their weekend, they get mad. They feel bad when they can't spell words correctly. After a few minutes, the child screams, "I can't do this!" and tears their paper in half. "It's too hard!"

The student places their back against the desk and refuses to talk when the teacher advances. They stopped working completely. Some students quit working and start to watch, which pulls the class's attention away.

- When the teacher claps his or her hands, the students stop what they are doing, look at the teacher, and get ready to move to the next activity. This helps make transitions quick.

Postive Reinforcement( Kindergarten)

-When students clean up and listen the first time, the teacher gives them a sticker to encourage positive behavior. This will motivate students to follow directions.

Social-Emotional Learning (Pre-K)

-In the classroom, there’s a calm-down corner where students can sit when they feel upset and calm down using stress relievers like squishy balls.

Positive Reinforcement Example (1st Grade)
In my first-grade room, I use “Caught Being Kind” tickets to reinforce positive behavior. When I see students sharing materials, helping a classmate zip a coat, or using a calm-down strategy without being prompted, I hand them a small ticket with a smiley face and the words “You filled someone’s bucket today!” At the end of the week, students trade their tickets for small classroom privileges like choosing a read-aloud book or being line leader. This helps students see that kindness and responsibility are valued and makes positive behaviors more consistent across the whole class.

Transitions & Routines Example (1st Grade)
In my first-grade class, transitions are supported with clear, predictable routines to keep students calm and focused. Before moving to the carpet for whole-group learning, I use a short call-and-response:
Teacher: “1-2-3 all eyes on me”
Students: “1-2 eyes on you”
Students freeze, look at me, and wait for directions. Then I give one-step instructions like, “ At a VL 0 Walk to the carpet and sit criss-cross with your math journal.” The routine is the same every day, so students know exactly what to expect. This reduces chaos, prevents running or arguing, and helps us start the next activity smoothly and on time.

1.Conflict resolution methods (Kindergarten) 

Conflict resolution in kindergarten looks like two students reaching for the popular puzzle in the class. Both students are pulling the puzzle in two different directions, and I come over and calmly try to make peace among the students. I get the students to calm down and use their words to explain how they feel. I remind the students that they could work together to fix the puzzle, or they can use the class timer and take turns using the puzzle. As soon as the timer goes off, one student must pass it to the next. I will stay near to ensure that students follow the rules.  

2.Transitions and routines (First grade) 

Transitions and routines in first grade look like students actively engaged in different learning areas, while some are making arts and crafts in the art center; others are reading books on the carpet, and a few are building structures in the math area. I walk around the room and remind all the students that they have five more minutes until it is time to clean up. After five minutes pass, I call out “1, 2, 3, everybody freeze!” Immediately, the students stopped what they were doing and looked toward me. I remind them that the five-minute warning has passed, and it is now time to transition. The students push in their chairs, place all materials in the correct labeled bins, clean up their areas “catch a bubble” in their mouths and walk calmly to the carpet. One by one, they sit quietly in their assigned carpet spots. The room becomes calm, and the entire class is seated, ready, and waiting for further instructions. 

3.Social-emotional learning integration (second grade) 

Social-emotional learning in second grade looks like students working in small groups to create a poster about animal habitats. One student struggled to stay on task and began pouting because the group did not choose to talk about the lion’s den. His group notices he is not contributing and begins whispering about his lack of effort. I walk over and ask him why he is not participating, then guide him to the feeling of poster. He indicates that he is feeling worried because he is afraid his spelling mistakes will make his teammates laugh. I help him calm down using breathing techniques and give him the option to draw the labels instead of writing them, allowing him to rejoin the group in a way that feels comfortable and confidence-building. 

Clear and Consistent Rules: Kindergarten-1^st grade teachers may normally use a set of core rules to be established in the classroom that sound like a short jingle or song to provide students with a set expectation. For example, be safe, be kind, be friends accompanied by visual ads around the classroom help reinforce what is expected and serve as a reference to redirect students on the right path. Talking to students throughout the day referencing the visual aids and modeling expected behaviors prevails students to be successful. Show up, do your best, and don’t ever give up. These simple reminders will balance a true set environment for the students.

Transitions and Routines: Proving a strong foundation is what is most important to me. A preschool teacher is known to set a routine and schedule to accomplish this. A visual schedule should be present and accessible to the students. Visual schedules and timers are essential to sticking to the daily schedule. When it is time to transition from free time (outdoor/gym play) children tend to get upset.  Having visual aids and timers available help reduce anxiety, confusion, and development when changing tasks. Set consistent, predictable routines with any modifications helps create a nurturing environment that supports each student’s development.

1. Positive Reinforcement Strategies: In a preschool classroom, the teacher notices that several of the students are helping clean up the blocks without being asked. The teacher tells those students how he loves how they are all helping with clean up and that shows how they are taking care of the classroom. The teacher then gives each helper a sticker to place on their "Bucket Filler" chart. More students start joining with clean up because they see how their peers are feeling proud. This will help create a routine where the students want to repeat good behaviors because they know their actions will be appreciated.

2. Proactive Classroom Organization: In a 3 to 5 year-old classroom, the teacher sets up each learning center so the students can find what they need without help. For example, in the art area he will have markers, glue sticks, scissors, ect, in which they will be stored and labeled with pictures. The materials are placed on low shelves so children can reach them easily. Everything has a spot in which the children can follow the routine on their own.

3. Transitions and Routines: When it is time to move from centers to circle time, the teacher will use fun songs that the children will hear every day. For example, the clean up song. If it is played daily, the children will make a connection that once that song plays, it is time for them to put the toys and materials away. After clean up, they will know to follow the routine of washing their hands and then sitting on the carpet. If this is consistent on a daily basis, the students will move smoothly without confusion or frustration.

Examples: First grade(Age 7)

• Walking past a table that is being chatty so that students remember to stay on task

• Gently tapping a students desk or pointing to their work while standing close by

2. Positive Reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is a strategy where the educator or adult gives praise, attention, or rewards after a child shows positive behavior.

Examples: Kindergarten(5 year olds)

• Stickers - reward that helps reinforce routines

  • for following directions

  • for finishing work

• Positive notes home

  • "Great job with taking deep breaths when you were upset today!"

  • "You were an amazing friend during center time today!"

3. Transitions and Routines:

   • When its times to switch task the teacher loudly says "Freeze like a tree" students freeze and put their hand at the top of their head and wait and listen for instructions.

   • Keeping a set routine for your students helps the, become more confident and independent. In my preK room every morning students know that they must

     1. Change their name card from home to school

     2. put away their coats and take out home folder

     3. wash hands

     4. get breakfast or sit on the carpet to practice letters on white board

   • This is a routine they have now memorized due to consistency.

Clear and consistent rules and expectations 

• For young children, having consistency in the classroom can be a healthy and even healing experience for those who are experiencing ACES  

• When it comes to rules and expectations, keep them short, realistic, and reachable for young students  (Prek-1st grade)

• Some examples of clear and consistent rules and expectations are  

  (Kindergarten-2nd Grade)

1. Walking feet in classroom and hallway  (Prek-3rd grade)

2. Voice level “5” or lower inside   (K-3rd grade)

3. Hands in our own space  (K-3rd)

4. Always come to class willing to learn something new 😊  (k-3rd)

Conflict resolution methods:  

• Talking stick: give students who are quarrelling a chance to voice their individual frustrations with the talking stick  (Kindergarten)

• Take the toy that is being fought over away temporarily to make sure that the focus is on the resolution not the object  (Prek-3rd grade)

• If I did not see who had the toy first, I will give the toy to either student but tell them that they have 5 minutes to play and then they will share with their classmate  (Prek/Kindergarten)

Social-emotional learning integration 

• To help students become aware of their feelings and others, as well as what causes these feelings, role play is a great way to go  

• Playing feelings games where students can read cue cards with feelings on them and come up with ideas as to why the person feels that way  (Prek/K)

• Ask questions during story time like “How do you think this character feels right now? Are they happy or sad?” (Prek-1st grade) 

• Have students reflect on times that they felt like characters in a story to help them become aware of the feelings of others and connect back to self (empathy) (prek-3rd grade)

• Set my own personal goals to complete, even when I want to give up.

• Keep mental notes on not to push myself too hard.

• Remind myself that mistakes are normal and are chances to make a difference.

• Ask for support when I need it, instead of struggling.

• Practice self-talk in a positive way, instead of putting myself down through stressful times.

  
  

  Applying Grit, Resilience, and Perseverance in My Classroom

• Create a classroom where students are taking risks and making mistakes, which will encourage them to learn from them.

• Include activities that are problem-solving so students are encouraged to try different methods to achieve their goals.

• Use calming methods, such as breathing techniques to release any frustration, anxiety, or stress.

During center rotations, the Kindergarten teacher uses a “caught being kind” system. When a student shares materials, invites a classmate to join them, or cleans up their space without being asked, the teacher gives them a sticker and says, “I appreciate how you helped your friend clean up the blocks!” The class later puts these stickers on a kindness chart, reinforcing positive behaviors in a developmentally appropriate way.

Age-Appropriate Consequences

If a Kindergarten student continues to talk and be disruptive during a class read-aloud, the teacher gives a gentle reminder first. If the behavior continues, the student is moved to a “reflection seat” within the classroom where they complete a feelings worksheet (with emojis) to think about their choices. After a few minutes, the student returns and participates again. The consequence is immediate, developmentally appropriate, and helps the child build self-awareness instead of feeling punished.

Transitions and Routines

In a Kindergarten classroom, transitions are supported by using music. When it’s time to clean up centers, the teacher plays a 30 second clean-up song. Students know that by the end of the song, they should put toys in the correct bins and line up on the carpet with their hands in their lap. This routine is consistent each day which makes transitions smooth, and children feel more secure knowing what comes next.