About this Activity:
“Practice the Hard Stuff” is a method that helps adult educators prepare to handle challenging moments in the classroom by practicing how they would respond in challenging scenarios, like those reflected on above.
Role-play is a common training method among military branches, emergency response groups, and companies where quick decision-making is highly valued.
Principal Thabiti Brown of Codman Academy in Dorchester, MA speaks about the strategy with his staff in this video.
Think back to the start of your career as an educator. Now, bring to mind a difficult moment or interaction you had with a student that you later wished you could correct. Often, these memories are sticky in our memory because of how they challenge us emotionally.