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!”. 
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The first that resonated with me to use to best support this type of student is shift #3 "Plan and deliver effective student centered instruction." The reason why this connected to me is because there is a student who is voicing the fact that they hate school and is using profanities to express that as well as taking the attention of everyone on shining it on themselves would suggest that they are not enjoying school because there is nothing for them to connect to so they feel excluded. Because the student feels disconnected from the class things multiple things should change so that they see the teacher cares about them or that there is something for them to connect in the curriculum. For example; if the student had a passion about cooking then I would shift some of the curriculum to include this interest. In my band class I would have the students provide cultural examples of a foreign composer so that we could better understand them and in that moment I would encourage the student to explore the food of the composers nationality so that the class better understands. By doing this I have provided my student with the opportunity to connect to the material with something they have interest in. Also, by having the student be in a presenter situation this will provide the opportunity for the student be in a moment of having everyone's attention on them in a "healthy" way. By healthy I mean a position where they will be in the spotlight but will be talking about something they like so that they will not be using profanity to discuss things and will provide the fellow students with an opportunity to see their class mate in a new light so that they see this person as not a loudmouth or jerk
The other shift that I would consider using in my practice is shift #1adopt an emotional lens. By adopting this lens I would examining how my actions affect the student emotionally. An example of how that would look would be a self reflection of what I am saying and my body language towards this student. In terms of what I am saying could be what I am not saying. For example; if every teacher is misusing their pronouns then this could be traumatizing to the student to the point where the they hate the environment they are in causing them to stand out. Another example would be my body language. If I always show body language that shows lack of interest then I am showing them that I do not care about them. Now if I am not the only teacher doing this then that would mean that the kid is getting a full treatment 8 hours a day of teachers showing a lack of interest which may be causing them to act out. By self reflecting what I say and how a move and by acting upon my self reflection I can then change my language towards the student so that it is more welcoming so that they see someone does care about them in their environment which can open the door into aiding them in working towards a place where they feel the need to not speak negative things to make their classmates uncomfortable.

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.

My initial reaction to a situation such as this would be to want to question the student and learn more about why this was done to the markers.  However, I think that the only way I could speak with this student and have a productive conversation would be to adopt the shift 5 of resisting the criminalization of the student's behavior.  My idea is that I would try to have a simple conversation with the student and asking them questions instead of immediately reprimanding them for an action that I do not have full knowledge of.  I also have to ask myself what sort of recourse does this action by the student deserve, in other words, does the punishment fit the crime?  I also have to look at that I have no clue as to the timeline of when the student may have cut these markers up.  This could have been something that happened the first week of school and has already been dealt with by one of the prior teachers.  The most important fact to me as the teacher is there is no real proof that the student had anything to do with this and that they deserve the chance to explain their side of this experience without already being condemned. If at any point I feel that I cannot respond or address the student without criminalizing their actions, stalling my conversation with them may help not make the situation worse. At the same time, I must be able to call this action what it is, disrespect for classroom materials.

My second shift for this scenario would be shift 4 of moving the paradigm from punishment to development.  I see this as a huge opportunity to break away from a traditional action=punishment style of teaching, and move into a non-zero tolerance policy by opening up a dialogue with the student and their family to see how we can turn this into a teachable and personal growth moment. As the teacher I must convey how personal the destruction of classroom materials feels to me because of what they offer to the class. Singling the student out seems to me to be a bad idea because of how it can foster negative self image and anxiety for the student, so I would rather speak with the student about this incident after class or after school in private.  There is no knowing what may have pushed this student to be involved with the markers being destroyed so no assumptions can be made.  We do not know if there is malintent, trauma that caused this action, or if they understand what they did was wrong and are working through it in their own head.  Through this practice, I would hope that the student and I, as the teacher, would be able to grow and develop an understanding of how we can build a better classroom environment. I think that this strategy also needs an assumption from the teacher that the student wants to and can grow from this experience.

I feel as though preventing this problem from occurring in the first place is tough, because locking away and hiding supplies from students is no way to teach responsible actions by students, however a positive way to go about it would to set clear expectation with students before projects with tools such as these markers begin.  Giving students autonomy in terms of deciding how destruction of classroom supplies should be dealt with can give students a sense of responsibility to take care of these supplies.  This also allows for the entire classroom of students to address what sort of behavior and treatment of materials used by the students is not acceptable.  The social climate that is built through this democratic process is much stronger that one built by an authoritarian approach by the teacher.  Follow up procedures to prevent any recurrence of this situation such as have students restate what the expectations are in regards to treatment of classroom materials each time they are being used for a project is a way to give healthy reminders to students that they decided that classroom materials are to be treated with a respectful manner.  This also allows for students to practice self-monitoring and personal responsibility skills that translate to so many aspect of life inside and outside of the classroom.  
 

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.

In this scenario I am going to be using two shifts one of them being Shift 5: Resist the Criminalization of School Behavior & shift 4: Move the Paradigm From Punishment to Development. I think these two are going to be the ones best suited to respond appropriately and fairly to the situation. 

Beginning with shift 5 right off the bat because I think this one is going to be the most crucial of the two. We have to accept that people make mistakes in schools and that this one seems like a testing of boundaries or acting out way more than it could every be a committing a crime. Using this shift is going to allow me to view this action as something other than just random malus, but something that has a story and a reason. I know in a situation like this I would be awfully pissed since these markers would most likely have been purchased by myself for the good of the class so it would seem like a challenge to the community I was building in the class. But then again they are only items and not lives so it is easy to put that aside and move forward. I also want to make sure to mention that this is a moment that I see as correct to discipline for, this is something that would have gone against community rules for respecting common materials of the class but it will be important to find a consequence that fits this scenario. There also is going to be no benefit from removing the student from the classroom and instead is going to be better served with a conversation after class and a late permission slip to their next teacher or a sit down at the end of the day with said student if transportation arrangements for after school can be made

Then with shift 4 I want to make sure that there is a reason and a result from the discipline that arises from this. I want to set this up as an opportunity for growth and trust. I would start by asking the student what is going on, and why it is that they did this. Then I would direct the student to brain storm some ideas of how to best rectify the situation or make it right. For the purpose of the shift I want to make a scenario within a scenario where they would be taking some time after school to work with the arts department to think of ways to fundraise to help get more art supplies for the classrooms. Then as a teacher I might find this as an opportunity to have a conversation with their caretakers, not about the fact that they got in trouble but more as a chance to mention that a situation came up and that their kid took a lot of responsibility in how to make it all right and to highlight the amount of work they were doing. I don't think there is a reason to talk about exactly what they did to get in trouble but instead to highlight the great work that they are taking responsibility for. I think a lot of the times it isn't the action but the reaction that needs to be shared most of the time. 

For the strategies I think this is going to be a good time to do some classroom contracts and
Zero indifference but not zero tolerance. 

I picked classroom contracts because this is going to help even more cement the norms and expectations of the classroom environment and to hopefully increase the student buy-in of the space. This is also going to be a collaborative process and even though coming in late in the school year to the space means that this is going to stall curriculum it is still going to be important after this to make this happen for the betterment of the class. 

Then with Zero Indifference this is going to be key since it is going to allow for the addressing of issues instead of letting them slide off into obscurity and keeps everyone in the space accountable for their actions while also making sure to keep me as a teacher accountable for my reaction. Everything to needs to be addressed in the moment does not have to be addressed after the fact and especially not with hefty punishments.

2 Restorative
Shifts that will interrupt my personal bias:
 
In responding to Kristina’s situation, I would respond with the two following shifts: Shift 1; adopt a social-emotional lense and shift 3; Plan and deliver effective student-center instruction. 
 
Kristina and I do not know each other very well and so we do not have a well-developed rapport that would motivate her to study or to work harder. On top of this, her lack of varied response makes it difficult to tell what she is thinking or feeling when I try to interact with her regarding her grades. Adopting Shift 1 will allow me to model a social-emotional behavior that can set the tone for our next encounter. In preparing for the following encounter, I will ask myself, ‘how am I behaving in this moment?’ and ‘how do my students react to my behavior?’. This way, when I talk with Kristina I will have her interests in mind and will be able to be mindful of how I come off to her. I would like to sit down with Kristina (or enter a private breakout room via Zoom) and get to know her a bit more. By us exchanging interests and background knowledge, we facilitate conversation and model disarming and friendly teacher-student dynamics. Then, I will tell her that I personally am concerned about her grades, because I really want her to do well. I simply want to know why she is not turning work in, because we are on the same team and I need to know how I can help her do better. Since her common response is one of ‘I’ll turn it in later’, and her parents are very involved in her school work, the other option one could pursue is to partner Kristina with a classmate. This person, or group of people, can create a community network that checks in on each other and supports each other academically. By meeting regularly with her and her class partner(s), you can build rapport and show the student your consistent investment in their success. Basically, don’t give up on them. 
 
Using Shift 3, I will ask myself these questions before and during my interaction with the student; ‘What identities are reflected in the curriculum? ‘and ‘Do my lessons reflect all of my students’ identities?’. If I want Kristina to feel motivated in my class, I need to make sure that the curriculum that I teach actually connects with her. I need to make sure that the stories of individuals, nations and historic movements that I teach her are relevant to her own experience. In order to make my curriculum inclusive to all of my students, I need to not always teach what I am personally interested. My interests could be skewed partially by my own experience and my culture. Can this student make a connection from her life to the curriculum? That is the key question. If I were in this situation, I would ask Kristina if she felt sincerely interested in what we were studying, and find out what she was actually interested in. This way, I can include her interests in my own curriculum and maintain a dynamic classroom environment. The most important thing is to be inquiring, and discussing with this student. Earning a student’s trust and building rapport takes time. First, the adult has to show that they are consistent and reliable, this is what kids look for in their mentors and guardians. Even activities as a daily question at the beginning of class is a great way learn about your students and therefore how to model your curriculum for their benefit. 
 
 

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.

#1 Social Emotional Lens
So, in this moment I am feeling confused and maybe sad or offended. My mind jumps to "Why would someone cut off the marker tips? Does someone need to exert some energy? What does my face look like right now? How did they even get all the markers??"  This would be a great moment to invite those who want it to take a 5 minute break (includes myself). This would give me and my students time to chill out, fuel up, breathe-whatever. A quick & hasty reaction would not be a positive addition to this scenario & to react in such a way could potentially trigger students.

#2 Cultural Competency
My personal biases/lens tells me to "not destroy school property." This exists within the space I operate. However, this is not a universal norm. Maybe this student has opposing views? Maybe they are struggling with impulsiveness? Maybe the student is acting in this way to get attention? After noticing this, I would initiate check-ins with the whole class. This way, my one on one discussion with this student is masked by the regular operations of check-ins (esp handy in art class) and they don't get singled out in front of the group.

#5 Resist Criminalization & #3 Student centered
During the one on one check-ins I would ask the student about the situation. I would say something to the effect of "so I noticed there were some marker tips in your desk, can you elaborate on this please?" In my mind, this allows the student the space to express their thoughts and doesn't put boundaries up from the get go. Whether or not the student is responsive to this statement, I'm not sure. In any case, I would want to remind the student that the classroom is a shared space. This means we share ideas, opinions and materials. This is what makes our classroom space great. I would then ask the student what they need in order to feel the are included in the shared space (because despite my previous efforts-they still may not feel included). And hopefully, I can try see if their requests can happen. By giving this student (and all students) some ownership or agency of the space, hopefully they can feel some pride and want to honor the space. At the end of the check in, I would ask the student to make sure they clean up the marker tips before they leave for the day. I would not want to draw extra attention to the situation.

#4 Punishment & development
To me, this scenario does not require admin to get involved. Since it's not indicated if this is a first time thing, I will assume it was. We also don't know wat age range this student is in. While it is unfortunate that we no longer have these 50 markers, I think the left over materials could be used in a future project (maybe an assemblage piece or 3D foundation exploration piece). I do think that this might require written documentation on my part-to track and see if this behavior continues. I also might want to send a quick email to the student's family. I don't think I would necessarily say "this happened today and I thought you should know"...But instead I might send a mass email to each student family as a general reminder of the shared spaces, and encourage parents to talk about this with their kids...maybe I could also provide some "what if" scenarios for students to mull over (ex "what if your best friend came into your room and ruined your favorite book?-how would you feel?"). Thinking over how our actions affect the world we live in-and the world that surrounds us is very important for young people to have on their radar.

There are a couple of these shifts that could definitely apply to this scenario, but I think the one that feels most applicable to how I perceive this situation is shift two: know your students and develop cultural competency. This shift focuses on my lens of the student, and knowledge about their culture, environment, and potential trauma. With this student, and hopefully with all my students, I want to maintain a stance of curiosity. I have a tendency to make assumptions, like I’m sure a lot of people do, and then ask leading questions with these assumptions in mind. With this student in particular, I would attempt to set a meeting with the student themselves and then get to know them and their situation. It wouldn’t be trauma-informed to force them to reveal all the details of what’s going on in their lives, if anything is even going on, but I would ask open-ended questions so assess the structure of their lives, what is preventing them from being present in class, and what I could do to help them succeed. I would want to challenge them to collaboratively come up with some measure of accountability that works for them, and potentially one that works with the entire classroom. For example, I always think first of a sticker chart, which may seem like a fairly juvenile tactic, but I've seen it work with teens and even adults. If I made it into a whole class solution, I could have the students work up towards a community reward of some kind. But overall, any solutions for their lack of attendance would have to come from them, at least for the most part, and my only role would be empowering them in their actions and decisions. 

While the meet-up is something that could happen as a response, but it's also something that could have happened early on in the school year. I've had a teacher do this with an entire class, hold one-on-one meetings with us during the class period in order to get to know us and structure the class around our wants and needs. This also fits into shift three of planning and delivering student-centered instruction, which provides a framework for preventing student outbursts and/or avoidance by giving them a stake in the classroom and a sense of ownership over it. 

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!”.  

This case stood out to me as the actions of the student are of course inappropriate, however they do reveal potentially positive aspects about the students character. As a music teacher, I wonder how I can move the student to display his emotion and passion through a musical output. Of course addressing the negative behavior, and gaining the student’s trust comes first.

The first shift that I would utilize would be Shift 3, Plan and Deliver Effective Student-Centered Instruction. 

After this incident, I would utilize the stall technique and ask the student to stick around after class. This reduces the student’s spotlight and enables me to continue the lesson without drawing attention to the issue. As the student sticks around after class I would offer the student an alternative assignment to whatever we’re working on at the moment. The student would be given the option to create a recording project that captures their disenchantment with the school. The project guidelines would be loose but it may look something like this.

As an often frustrated musician myself, capturing emotion sonically can be cathartic and resolute. Within this project the student might make percussive noise with bricks, anvils, oil drums, or might find joy in creating feedback loops with guitar amps, microphones, and fuzz pedals. 

Not only would this project meet NAFME standards for composition, it may also offer a sense of being heard, and true communication from the student. The activity is also a fairly good example of what professional musicianship and composition may look like. 

The next shift that I would utilize would be Shift 1, Adopt a Social Emotional Lense. In reality, I can be very quick to roll my eyes or raise my eyebrows. While I am often unconscious of this, I know that it can be detrimental to serious or professional relationships. In a situation like this, it is important to give attention to the student in a way that conveys honesty, and a genuine interest in their development. 

This may also be a time to incorporate a community building activity into the classroom. If the teacher has overheard other students talking negatively about the individual, then there is a deeper problem at hand. A good strategy may be as simple as utilizing “pair and share” more frequently, or perhaps creating a group project that addresses diversity and community. The teacher may pre-select groups in an attempt to integrate the distraught student better into the classroom.

During my time away from the situation, I would reflect on Shift 1: Adopt a social emotional lense. This would be a good time to think about how my actions might fuel student actions. This is a situation that warrants response, is this something that the student or student’s were counting on? Is my reaction what they wanted? Are the students practicing Shift 1 on me right now? I would reflect on this shift because, again this behavior warrants response, and it is important to consider the potential motivation behind such behaviors. If I don’t handle the situation correctly, then students might be inclined to keep repeating this behavior on purpose just to get a rise out of me.  With that said, how would this reflection inform my decisions moving forward? This reflection wouldn’t only be applicable at the moment, this reflection would also help me to understand a better way of potentially “heading this behavior off at the pass”. Is there a way that I would be able to incorporate this into future lessons, activities and interactions? Would this lend itself to building a better rapport with students? Moving forward I think It would be very important to uphold policies on the three P’s of respect, People, Property and process. Instead of just telling them all the time, I would start to incorporate this theme into different projects and exercises, and begin to show students that these aren’t simply rules, they are the glue that hold us together, and we can’t function as a community if we can’t uphold these standards or hold others accountable for these standards. Myself included. 

As far as the immediate response I would look to Shift 5 resisting the criminalization of the student's behavior.  In this case there would have to be a pretty clear lack of trust, for students to think that this behavior was acceptable, and both parties are responsible for restoring that trust and building on it. Therefore, I don’t think the best course of action is punishment right off the bat. I would want to talk with the students and try to get this situation figured out in house. I want my students to trust how I handle things, and I would like them to trust me enough to tell me what’s going on and how this behavior came to fruition. If this hurdle cannot be conquered, how will the community in the classroom be affected? Maintaining student dignity and good personal relations would be one of my top priorities in this situation. There is no telling what could motivate a student to destroy school property to such a degree, and escalating the situation in front of the class could potentially make matters for this student worse. I would privately hold a restorative justice demonstration between that student and myself before I would take any actions in front of the whole class. However, this doesn’t benefit the whole class, as I would be working with one student. Instead of addressing the class in regards to the markers and the student who destroyed them. I would take the opportunity to discuss preventative measures with the whole class. Involving the voice of the class I would lead  a discussion about the class behavioral contract, and if there isn’t one I would have the students help me to make one. A contract that has measurable areas of behavior, so there is room for continuous follow up, as the students can use the contract to measure progress or shortcomings in the areas of behavior outlined in the contract. 

As teachers we will never see the whole picture when it comes to actions and what motivates them. We can help to create an environment that doesn’t judge a student for whatever is beneath the surface, and create a culture where everyone feels safe to learn. With reflection on the shifts, and strategies, it becomes apparent that while most behaviors warrant action and justice, not all warrant punishment.