Student Experience
Student Experience
Consider the whole picture that would be needed to achieve connected student experiences.
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Necessity of High Expectations and Compassion
Necessity of High Expectations and Compassion
Using relationship-centered learning practices make your classroom a place that kids love to be, where it is okay to mess up (fail forward to learn), and where relationship-centered learning occurs simultaneously with learning content or receiving a correction -- modeling the necessity of high expectations (partnered with high support).
Using relationship-centered learning practices make your classroom a place that kids love to be, where it is okay to mess up (fail forward to learn), and where relationship-centered learning occurs simultaneously with learning content or receiving a correction -- modeling the necessity of high expectations (partnered with high support).
Holding students accountable and demonstrating compassion are not incompatible notions. You can always extend grace while you provide discipline--always respect their dignity while you administer consequences.
Holding students accountable and demonstrating compassion are not incompatible notions. You can always extend grace while you provide discipline--always respect their dignity while you administer consequences.
-- Danny Steele, Principal
-- Danny Steele, Principal
A focus on emotional safety for all students and staff means that we begin with a belief that all students can learn and deserve our respect and opportunities to maintain their dignity. This does not mean care without consequence or boundaries --- this means that we teach missing skills, hold high expectations tempered by high compassion, and build structures and systems in which our behavior models positive interactions and consideration for the worth of each person in the room.
A focus on emotional safety for all students and staff means that we begin with a belief that all students can learn and deserve our respect and opportunities to maintain their dignity. This does not mean care without consequence or boundaries --- this means that we teach missing skills, hold high expectations tempered by high compassion, and build structures and systems in which our behavior models positive interactions and consideration for the worth of each person in the room.
Student-Centered Pedagogical Relationships
Student-Centered Pedagogical Relationships
When all teachers commit to being all in with holding kids accountable without shame and harm, we create a place where every human is deserving of dignity and kindness. Keep in mind that this does not require 100% emotional investment 100% of the time. Using a pedagogical-centered approach (ie, keeping student interests in mind during curriculum choices and use simple methods such as speaking 5 positives to every negative) versus an emotional-centered (ie, worrying about things outside your control and creating compassion fatigue) maintains a commitment to a whole child and is a healthy adult approach too.
When all teachers commit to being all in with holding kids accountable without shame and harm, we create a place where every human is deserving of dignity and kindness. Keep in mind that this does not require 100% emotional investment 100% of the time. Using a pedagogical-centered approach (ie, keeping student interests in mind during curriculum choices and use simple methods such as speaking 5 positives to every negative) versus an emotional-centered (ie, worrying about things outside your control and creating compassion fatigue) maintains a commitment to a whole child and is a healthy adult approach too.
To avoid compassion fatigue, we must enact strategies that enable us to cope with the “emotional labor” of managing one’s own feelings in order to manage others’ emotions.
To avoid compassion fatigue, we must enact strategies that enable us to cope with the “emotional labor” of managing one’s own feelings in order to manage others’ emotions.
Staff are encouraged to build a student-centered pedagogical method that involves the following:
Staff are encouraged to build a student-centered pedagogical method that involves the following:
Emotional enough to communicate warmth
Safe enough for students to trust they can fail without rejection
Friendly enough to show happiness for the student’s presence
Persistent enough to engage relational repair in response to challenging student behaviors
Sustainable enough to be practiced in the countless daily educator-student interactions all year long.
- from ASCD, "It s Not Either Or"
Examples in Action
Examples in Action
Each video to the right exemplifies the methods and mindset represented in a Connected Classroom and teacher.
Students and parents described these teachers of the year as:
"You feel like she is doing what she is born to do"
"This is what she loves."
"She has a servant's heart."
"She makes you feel you are the only person in the room."
"Content is important, but today I need you to know that you are loved."
"She makes it [learning] fun."
"One of the most positive people I have ever met."
"You can walk in and there will be dancing, but also activities to make the student's self-advocate."
"I was really happy to come to school every day."
"She really cared about me...she sees it as a calling."
"She lights up a room when she comes in... she can bridge relationships with anyone."
"Heart and love are the two best words that describe her... her mission is to make her kids believe that she cares about them and that they can rise to the challenge of learning."
"Kids need me to be the constant in their lives."
"I want them to know that everyone struggles and that it is only through these struggles do we learn. "
"She makes me happy -- she is the nicest teacher I have ever met."
"Her kindness and her realness comes through -- one of the things that make her most impactful is how quickly she can build trust."
"Students know the heart -- if I make a mistake, I am quick to admit that so they see that I model that."
"She isn't trying to tell you who you need to be or what to do. She is just trying to support the best version of yourself."
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