By Laura Driscoll | Behavior , Teacher Consultation
I worked with a teacher, let’s call her Ginnie, who had the biggest heart and the worst classroom behavior management strategies. Very quickly into each year, multiple kids would be on behavior plans and she was modifying everything for everyone. It came from such a good place, but it was exhausting and not helping her […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Behavior , Teacher Consultation
Getting a classroom of students and or even one student to follow expectations is not an unfamiliar challenge. It is necessary for every teacher to have a bag of behavior strategies to pull from. Nevermind the stickers, the velcro charts, or the punch cards, a simple phrase can help clearly communicate expectations to students. Say […]
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By Laura Driscoll | SEL Teaching Practices , Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
Group work can feel like students splitting up work and completing the task in parallel. We all know there is so much opportunity for rich interactions in group work and a chance for students to learn to work well with others and collaborate. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders found 10 key social emotional […]
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By Laura Driscoll | SEL Teaching Practices , Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
Learning often happens when we are focused on progress (over product) and we are willing to take risks. So often in our classrooms, students are nervous to make mistakes and are focused on being right. How do we intentionally create a classroom and school community that is supportive? The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders found […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
I don’t think mental illnesses should be used to describe our daily stresses. Someone’s serious challenge shouldn’t also describe how I feel about spilling coffee on my shirt. I’ve spent the last couple months reflecting on this, and I’m asking us all to do the same. I think it is important for the children we […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Behavior , Teacher Consultation
Defiance is an inevitable and generally not a welcomed part of a classroom. You are spending your day getting through your content, building community, and regularly demanding that students do tons of tasks. From time to time, they are going to have different ideas. Even walking down the hallway can be a struggle without one of […]
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By Laura Driscoll | SEL Teaching Practices , Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
Responsibility and choice is the degree to which teachers allow students to make responsible decisions about their work in their classroom.Why It’s ImportantMaking student responsibility and choice a part of your classroom helps students:gain a better understanding of themselves as learners, struggle and plan in a controlled setting, and stay engaged with their work.It does not mean […]
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By Laura Driscoll | SEL Teaching Practices , Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
I walked into a classroom one day with a teacher telling a student they looked like a slob because his shirt was untucked. Not the kind of words that build up and encourage a child. We’ve all said something or been present when something is said to a student that makes us cringe. It can […]
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By Laura Driscoll | SEL Teaching Practices , Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
Student-centered discipline is the classroom management strategies that a teacher uses that are developmentally appropriate for their students and motivate their students to want to behave in the classroom. It is one of the 10 key teaching practices identified by The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL) that support social and emotional learning as […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Social Emotional Skills , Teacher Consultation
Resolving conflicts is a necessary skill for students to learn and we can begin expecting independence in elementary. Sometimes, when you feel like you are lining up 20 kittens rather than 20 students, there isn’t a lot of time to resolve every student conflict. When we do get involved past the demand for an apology, we […]
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