By Laura Driscoll | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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, […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Behavior , Teacher Consultation
Why won’t teachers implement my behavior plans? You completed a lengthy and thorough Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and you made a behavior plan with perfect reinforcers. The student is even excited about the plan. Yes! Initial buy-in! You convince parents that this will help their child, not make them look different. You meet with the teacher and go over […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Teacher Consultation
As a school psychologist or school counselor, I need to build relationships with teachers to effectively support struggling students. I need a lot from teachers every day. patience with getting behavior plans implemented. confidence that the plans will work. mindfulness to carryover strategies into the classroom. grace with difficult parents. knowing nods when days did not go according to the […]
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By Laura Driscoll | Teacher Consultation
A major part of being effective as a school counselor or psychologist is working to build relationships with teachers. As a beginning school psychologist, I had no idea how to do this other than being friendly. I quickly found myself out of the loop, avoiding difficult teachers, and halfway through the year feeling like my interventions took a […]
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