The way we view the world, education, our classrooms, and the students and families we serve is often influenced by numerous factors including the beliefs, values, and assumptions we have developed through our experiences and environments. We may often be unaware of them, yet they are one of the primary drivers of our actions. During… Read More Meaningful Mindset Shifts for Teaching, Learning, and Community
Mindset Shifts: Building Balanced Partnerships
Intentionally shifting our mindset around shared decision-making can be scary, yet can also be empowering. Ensuring your team embraces the power of including different voices to make changes can wield truly innovative, sustainable shifts in the culture of your school. Inviting stakeholders, those who are truly representative of your community, to be active participants in… Read More Mindset Shifts: Building Balanced Partnerships
Mindset Shifts: Expanding our View of Acknowledgement
Taking an instructional approach towards behavior is critical when establishing supportive, consistent learning environments. However, while behavior specific praise is a powerful tool that helps to shape behavior in the classroom, viewing acknowledgement through a broader lens can truly transform classroom communities. Consider how simple and welcoming gestures can also serve as a supportive strategy… Read More Mindset Shifts: Expanding our View of Acknowledgement
Mindset Shifts: Teaching for the Classroom and Beyond
An instructional approach to supporting students’ behavioral change and social skill acquisition isn’t just about decreasing referrals and the rate of off-task behavior in the classroom. At all ages and developmental stages, teaching learners new or needed skills to navigate the educational environment can positively impact their academic achievement and lifetime social experiences. This week… Read More Mindset Shifts: Teaching for the Classroom and Beyond
Mindset Shifts: Language has Power
The words we use to communicate when speaking and writing have power to promote inclusion, connection, and forward momentum, OR to exclude, disconnect, and create negative experiences for others. According to the National Institute of Health, “More than 26% of adult Americans have disabilities, 45% of Americans have at least one chronic disease, and 22%… Read More Mindset Shifts: Language has Power
Mindset Shifts: Plan for Instruction
One of the more common myths encountered in MTSS implementation is the assumption that it is not the “job” of school staff to teach students what they feel they “should already know.” Staff may express that teaching behavior is not their responsibility, but rather a responsibility of parents or teachers of younger grades, or that… Read More Mindset Shifts: Plan for Instruction
Strengthening Your Tier 1 Foundation: A 5-Article Series
“You can’t intervene your way out of a Tier 1 problem,” goes the saying. For this reason, a strong Tier 1 foundation is key to supporting staff and students in the areas of academics, behavior, mental wellness, and attendance. During the month of December, we shared a five-article series that focused on how school staff… Read More Strengthening Your Tier 1 Foundation: A 5-Article Series