The Chalk Blog

The lingering effects of the pandemic still affect us both mentally and physically. In, “Public Education is Facing a Crisis of Epic Proportions,” Laura Meckler writes:

The other day while on a walk with a friend, our conversation revolved around the exhaustion we felt from teaching all day. She hit me with a statement I have to share: “Talk for curriculum, not for behavior.” To help conserve our energy she suggests we talk for instructional purposes only.  When directing behaviors, we should stay silent. This might be the secret to our sanity as teachers!

Going back to school is an exciting time for students and teachers! Picking out your first-day-of-school outfit, the smell of Crayola crayons, and meeting new friends! In addition to excitement, returning to school can also bring anxiety and angst. Here are three things teachers can focus on to ease students back into the brick & mortar schoolhouse.

Educate, Listen, Look, and Learn

Growing up in the 70’s, I am acutely familiar with cigarettes. Slogans and smoking campaigns like You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby, Winston Tastes Good Like a Cigarette Should, The Marlboro Man, and Joe the Camel were used to make us believe smoking was safe, even  glamorous. As a 6th grader at Fuller Elementary School in Minneapolis, I remember feeling stunned by a woman, a former smoker, who used an electrolarynx to speak to our class about the dangers of smoking. If you’ve never heard a person speak using an electrolarynx, watch Tips From Former Smokers from the Centers for Disease Control.

As I look back, I can still see a floor full of mesmerized sixth graders sitting “W” style, listening to the “Look-At-What-Smoking-Did-To-Me” speaker holding the electric-razor-like device to the hole in her windpipe to speak. The goal, I know now, was to “scare us straight,” and keep us away from cigarettes and the diseases doctors were discovering they caused. But, with our youthful sense of invincibility, before we knew it, we, too, were sampling those--as advertised--“slender, sexy, cool” cigarettes.

Today, a new delivery system of cigarettes with different names are on the market and, once again, young people are being coerced into using them. Juul and other e-cigarette companies calculatingly changed the verb from smoking to vaping, giving the impression that what we are inhaling is a water-like substance.

Creating a Diverse Curriculum

When I think back on all of my years of K-12 schooling, the only diversity included in the curriculum (if you can even call it that) were the ubiquitous studies of westward expansion, slavery, civil rights and a few prominent figures that emerged from those time periods. What I took away, as a young person of color, was that the influence and contributions of people like me were relegated to the margins of history. An additive to the mainstream narrative.   

As classrooms in the U.S. continue growing in diversity, teachers are tasked with creating a more inclusive curriculum to reflect the voices and perspectives of a broader spectrum of people. By teaching the established curriculum, minority students often feel disengaged and unempowered resulting in lower levels of achievement.  But when educators work to create a set of curricula that is relevant, meaningful, and affirming to diverse identities, their efforts result in positive outcomes both socially and academically. Research also shows that not only students of color, but white students greatly benefit from a diverse curriculum as the exposure enables them to grapple with multiple perspectives and build a better understanding of both self and others. 

Helping You Put Behavior Puzzle Pieces Together!

Student behavior is a puzzle. Many pieces are necessary to make up the complete, TRUE picture. Does the child have positive connections with staff and other students? Does the child need routine? Could the child benefit from resilience building? What is developmentally normal? Has the child experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences or trauma? What is the function of behavior? Does she have a skill deficit? What is his learning style? Is she receiving proper nutrition? Did the child get a good night’s sleep? So many pieces… 

Because behavior is extremely complicated, it is often a daily challenge for educators. For this reason, Learners Edge has put together a list of the best behavior books for teachers. Think about what is missing for you to solve the behavior puzzle in your classroom. Then, check out our recommendation based on your needs.  

Building a rewarding relationship

Ever think that students behave better for teachers they like? Rita Pierson agrees! 

Ever heard of the relationship bank account? The concept is simple, to take something out of said account, you need a balance from which you can withdraw “funds” when you correct behavior! There is only one way to get that…positive deposits! 

Ever heard of the praise ratio? Experts disagree as to whether it’s 4:1, 5:1, or 6:1, but either way, you should be praising (building the relationship bank account) at least five times as often as you make a withdrawal.