There are few pieces of behavior advice I hear more often than “build a relationship with them.” And none of them are an intervention. A student is refusing every assignment? Build a relationship. A student...
Read More“Size of the Problem” has been part of behavior and SEL instruction for a loooong time. Yes, there’s rightful criticism, but there is also a reason it stuck around. Kids do need to learn how...
Read MoreWhen a student returns to your classroom after spending time in an alternative school or juvenile detention, there may be a lot you do not know. You may know the circumstances that led to the...
Read MoreManifestation determination meetings can feel intimidating, especially when a serious behavior has occurred and emotions are running high. By the time the meeting is scheduled, there may already have been an investigation, parent phone calls,...
Read MoreChronic blurting is one of the most common classroom behaviors teachers ask me about, and it’s also one of the easiest behaviors to accidentally make worse. If you’ve ever had a student who seems to...
Read MoreI want to be clear about who this post is for. This isn’t about selective mutism or any clinical presentation that needs an evaluation and a plan built with a specialist. This is about the...
Read MoreThere’s a version of “relationship first” teaching advice that absolutely wears teachers down. It tells you to lead with connection, to assume positive intent, to find the story behind the behavior. All true. All useful....
Read MoreThis post contains affiliate links. Every year, somewhere in May or June, teachers sit down for end-of-year student handoff conversations. Sometimes it’s a formal meeting. Sometimes it’s five minutes in the hallway, and sometimes it’s...
Read MoreI can guarantee that if you use reward systems, at some point in the year the reward systems start to feel a little fragile. You have the charts, the systems, the prizes and kids are...
Read MoreIf a student is having a hard time, taking away recess can feel like the obvious move because it’s clean, immediate, and sends a message. It also… usually doesn’t work. (And not in a “kids...
Read More
