A long weekend, some nice weather (okay...one day of nice weather) and a national holiday of remembrance can lead to some much-needed balance as well as reflection. As we enter senior week (leading up to graduation) as well as our last month of school, please take a moment to reflect. Reflect on your own personal and professional successes. Reflect upon the growth of your students. Reflect upon the moments of celebration that come with the end of a school year. Reflect upon the goals you set and met collaboratively with your colleagues. Reflect on a year in the lives of our students in your care.
0 Comments
Many of our teachers attended a PBIS Conference last week. We are looking into PBIS because implementing positive behavioral support systems is a change process that works most effectively when it is a school-wide or district-wide system. The underlying theme is to teach behavioral expectations across all classrooms and to communicate consistent expectations across all areas of the school such as busses, playgrounds, restrooms, cafeterias, and hallways. Deb Swain wrote a reflection for her staff on some takeaways from the conference that I'd like to share here:
I really liked her line where she wrote:
Take a look at her reflections and think about some students you currently have (or had in the past) who have displayed some challenging behaviors. Think about what you can control in your classroom or school that could be adapted to create an environment that would increase the likelihood that students can learn and behave. Think about the following questions: Do you keep data to better understand the behaviors? Do you monitor student progress to inform interventions? Do you engage the family in the process of supporting the student? Do you have flexible seating options for the student? Do you address the sensory needs of the student? Do you seek opportunities to praise the student in advance? Do you have clear expectations for behaviors outlined for the class? |