COMMUNICATIVE: understand Ruby Paine - what students come to school with (skills) - we have to be intentional about how we teach them to communicate - ex. casual vs. formal register. How do we create a safe environment - we want to hear what you have to say? Making expectations clear - patience - engage in conversation. Advocate is the grit of communication - students will sit and not say something...maybe safety is the issue. How do we know if they are okay if they don’t say anything. A safe environment is SO important. More intimidated by their peers - and receiving ridicule. Must create an environment where mistakes are okay and important in the learning process. Create a sense of camaraderie with the whole class. Intentional about building the skills needed to be a successful communicator in the lesson/activity/assessment (ex. Kline’s Socratic Seminar rubric). How to share an opinion clearly? IDEA: develop a list of strategies to help develop a Communicative environment.

RISK TAKING (student ownership, empowered): Failing forward - opportunities to try and reflect. (Ex. Heller’s density lab - deliberately set up a process for learning from mistakes).  Reflecting on why you failed and what you learned from the moment. Find a way to celebrate the risk instead of the result.

PROBLEM-SOLVING (adaptive, creative, critical thinking): Most students want instant gratification - want the answer right away. Thinking outside the box. POGIL - makes students talk to another group to find an answer - not straight forward - must be creative. Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning - protocol teaches a concept where they try to figure something out - teacher is facilitator. 

COLLABORATIVE:  How do we get students to work with others?  This is not only an academic skill, but an employment skill. How do we teach effective collaboration- be intentional about teaching the skill.  

HARD WORKING (persistence, grit, high expectations): Developing this skill will also help kids overcome adversity, failure.  Important to be intentional as this is difficult with the some of our kids based upon their environment.  How do we give them the opportunity to continue on, especially when they have not succeeded in the past?  Need to help this students find short wins as they build up their stamina for larger more daunting tasks.