Dear Instructional Coach Series

Tip #1: Be mindful of your own window of tolerance.  When you are within your window of tolerance, you feel like you are able to deal with whatever is coming your way. We have the ability to show up for ourselves during difficult moments, and show up for our students when they are struggling. However, when you experience stress, your window of tolerance shrinks and it is easier for you to become dysregulated.  When we are outside our window of tolerance, our reactions to student behavior can negatively impact our students. If you feel like you have moments like this,...

Dear struggling teacher, below you will find our 4 big suggestions when approaching this issue with best technology and SIOP practices, Smekens strategies, and utilizing our ELA curriculum resources.  Tip #1: Use accessibility features on the iPad, including those within Seesaw and Canvas. First and foremost, ensure your content is accessible to your students. Have you taught your students the basic accessibility features within the iPad? Be sure to take time to teach these features and then remind students to use them! This will allow your students to be more independent while working through work that the rest of the class has...

Dear frustrated teacher, below you will find our 3 big suggestions when approaching this issue with de-escalation, Trauma-Informed Care, and SIOP in mind.  Tip #1: Don’t take student behavior personally.  Before you can help students control their outbursts and time on task, you need to ensure your own emotions are regulated. This starts with rational detachment. In a nutshell, rational detachment is the ability to control our own behavior/emotions and not take student hostility personally. Sounding easier than it is, you may need to practice regulating your own emotions and reactions to student behavior.  Take a step back and take...