OEA Grow

Using Writing for Social Emotional Learning

Colin Price has been teaching writing and ELA for 13 years both in the United States and the Middle East. In this episode, Alexis and Colin explore the power of writing and story. They intersect ideas for using writing as a powerful SEL tool with discussion of how behavior can show up in ways other than “disruption”. For example, withdrawal and shutting down might be behaviors seen in high school students with anxiety or depression. Colin has found that many students feel more free to express themselves through their writing than by speaking in the classroom. Writing can therefore provide glimpses into students’ thought processes and lives that might not otherwise be evident. Alexis and Colin also discuss the power (both positive and negative) of story including the stories of self we tell ourselves and the compelling ability we and our students have to revise our own narratives.    Resources: Teaching Activities to Support the Core Competencies of SEL - CASEL Examples of Social and Emotional Learning in English Language Arts Instruction - CASEL Integrating SEL Into Writing Instruction - Julia Richardson The Odyssey - Homer

Social Work, Behavior, and Student Mental Health Part 2

Alexis continues the conversation with school social workers Talia Akre and Anna McNeely. In part 2 of this conversation, they focus on resources for educators to use. One strategy they discuss is the creation of staff teams of support and action when faced with a student mental health and/or behavior issue. They stress that educators are not called on to do therapy but to connect students of all ages to mental health services. They also address what to say when a student brings strong feelings to you.    Resources: 211 988 - Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, dial 988 Youth Line McKinney-Vento Act: Homeless Education Program

Social Work, Behavior, and Student Mental Health Part 1

Curious about social workers in schools and their thoughts on student mental health? Tune in for the thoughts and experiences of Talia Akre and Anna McNeely, two social work staff members with Multnomah ESD. This is an honest conversation about the status of mental health issues in schools and the experience of social workers in Oregon schools.    Resources: School Social Workers’ Role in Addressing Students’ Mental Health Needs and Increasing Academic Achievement - School Social Work Association of America School Social Work Practice Model - School Social Work Association of America “We Need to Address the Trauma”: School Social Workers′ Views About Student and Staff Mental Health During COVID-19 - School Mental Health 2022 Amid growing crisis, federal officials call on states to prioritize youth mental health - NBC News

Equity in School Discipline & Climate

In episode three, Alexis discusses school climate with Dr. Vicki Nishioka, Principal Researcher on Equity and School Climate at Education Northwest. Their discussion of school climate incorporates research, policy, and day-to-day strategies.  One focus of their conversation is how to prevent school discipline incidents with proactive school climate strategies such as helping students and teachers to build authentic relationships and the necessary social and emotional learning skills required to build relationships. As they delve more into relationship building, they examine a key element in building relationships with students: How educators and students can build relationships when they’re coming from very different cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. For example, how can educators use praise that aligns with students’ cultural values?  On the research and policy side, Vicki and Alexis discuss the “zero tolerance” policy,  discipline disparities found based on race, especially regarding Black, Latinx, and Native American students, and the accompanying research that shows not a difference in behavior but a difference in perception of behaviors. Vicki works in partnership with many districts in Oregon and acknowledges that sometimes policy and shifts in practice are hard to coordinate.    Resources: Strengthening Relationships with Students from Diverse Backgrounds (video) - Education Northwest Shift the Current School Climate: Sense of Belonging and Social Emotional Learning - REL Northwest Building Connections with Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds Through Perspective-taking - Vicki Nishioka Resources for Building Teacher-Student Relationships - Education Northwest

Co-regulation

To kick-off the Behavior season, member host Alexis Hennessey talks with educator Mary Michael about co-regulation, social emotional learning, and trauma informed behavior approaches. Mary has been an educator for over 30 years, has taught every grade level from Kindergarten to ninth grade, and is currently a certified trauma-informed mental health and behavior specialist. Mary and Alexis pack a wealth of helpful information into 30 minutes. Their conversation centers on the importance of regulation for both students and educators and how we can bring co-regulation into schools and classrooms. Many students enter school lacking the skills to co-regulate. Often, those students are impacted by trauma and/or the trauma experienced by their parents/caregivers. How can we support these students in managing their own behavior and give them agency in the process? Through teaching social emotional skills, including regulation, social skills, problem solving skills, and communication skills, academic outcomes are also increased. Alexis and Mary acknowledge how difficult it is for educators to be in school situations making decisions about behavior in the moment. Mary states, “We want everyone to walk away with their dignity”. Their conversation also demonstrates the value of behavior specialists to schools.    Resources:   OEA Becoming a Trauma Informed Education Series Permission to Feel - Mark Brackett Teachers Guide to Trauma: 20 Things Kids with Trauma Wish Their Teachers Knew - Dr. Melissa Sadin and Nathan Levy What Happened to You - Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey Co-Regulation video recording - (56 minutes; access for OEA members only) - https://tinyurl.com/OEArecordings  Zones of Regulation handouts The Neurobiology of Emotion Regulation Development and the Role of the Early Environment - UC Davis MIND Institute, Dr. Nim Tottenham Development of human amygdala-prefrontal cortex circuitry and the role of the caregiver - UC Davis MIND Institute, Dr. Nim Tottenham

Season 5 Host Introduction

Welcome to OEA Grow’s fifth season where educators take a deep dive into behavior. Season five is hosted by Behavior Consultant and OEA Member Alexis Hennessey. Alexis is in her 19th year as an educator and is licensed in Behavior, Special Education, and General Education.  She’s also one of OEA’s facilitators in the Becoming a Trauma Informed Educator series of courses (free to members). Alexis will speak with educators across the state and try to answer some of our most pressing questions about behavior: How does behavior show up day to day in our schools and organizations? What is the broader context of behavior? How can we impact behavior, positively or negatively, with the decisions we make as educators? Listen in to hear how your fellow educators are experiencing, learning about, and addressing behavior in their schools.  Check out the 100+ labor and union related podcasts on the Labor Radio Podcast Network at https://www.laborradionetwork.org/ Are you an OEA member interested in being a guest or host on the podcast? Find details at https://grow.oregoned.org/podcast  

Advice from a Veteran Educator

In the final episode of season four, Kayla talks with veteran educator Rob Hillhouse as he reflects on twenty years of wisdom, blunders, and learnings. Rob has accumulated experience as an educator across K-16 and currently serves as Secondary Multilingual Teacher on Special Assignment in the Beaverton School District. Through sharing some of his stories as an educator, Rob describes lessons learned, such as not assuming we understand where a student or family is coming from, the importance of showing rather than telling a student that you are a trusted person, and the value of mentors for early career educators. Kayla and Rob also discuss classroom climate, implicit bias, intention vs. impact, and the power of a strengths-based approach. In comparing his experience in Oregon with other places he’s taught, Rob also talks about the value of a strong union in supporting teachers.   Resources: OEA New Educators of Oregon Network 5 things students require to build trusting relationships with their teachers - NWEA Building Trust with Students—Even Before Class Starts: How to Promote Psychological Safety in Your Classroom - Harvard Business Publishing Implicit Bias Defined - NEA 5 Ways Strong Educator Unions Help Public Schools - NEA

Engaging and Encouraging Community College Students

“Their success is my success” states Beth Aydelott, popular writing and literature instructor at Lane Community College. Kayla talks with Beth this week about engaging and encouraging community college students. For Beth, this process starts before the semester begins when she sends a welcome email with access to the syllabus, readings, and the assignment list. Beth thinks this helps them feel a bit more secure before the first day of class. Beth and Kayla talk about many other strategies, most of which have relationship building at their core. Some of the strategies Beth explains include creating an informative yet concise syllabus, using a variety of formats for materials and communications in the learning management system, giving students choice, eliminating costly textbooks, and being available to students in-person, online, and over the phone. Students also feel supported by receiving prompt and thorough feedback on assignments. In addition to building relationships with her students by sharing information about herself and expressing authentic interest in her students’ lives, Beth helps to build community between students. Because community college students vary greatly in age and life experience, they have a lot to learn from each other. Finally, Kayla and Beth discuss the importance of building confidence in K-12 students as a way of nurturing their success in college.    Resources: How and Why to Humanize Your Online Class - An infographic by Michelle Pacansky-Brock How to Check in with Students - University of Oregon Garrison’s Three Types of Presence - Pierce College Library Resources as Course Materials - Open Oregon Educational Resources Open Educational Resources information page - Lane Community College

Student Motivation (Extended Episode)

Student motivation is the topic of this extended episode conversation with host Kayla Potter and High School Language Arts Teacher Desmond Spann. At the foundation of the discussion is the concept that motivation is a skill that ultimately must align with students’ values and interests. Desmond acknowledges the difference between internal and external motivation in the classroom and why he strives for the former over the latter. One strategy Desmond uses for increasing intrinsic motivation is being intentional about finding out what’s important to students and showing them how what is happening in the classroom aligns with their values. He also explains how creating classroom conditions where students feel it’s okay to take risks and make mistakes contributes to student engagement and motivation. Kayla and Desmond additionally discuss giving students the language they need to express that they’re struggling with motivation and engagement, balancing academics with humanity, the pitfalls of solely using grades as a motivator, and the connection between equity and student motivation.    Resources: Worth Work podcast - Desmond Spann and Jesse Gardner Atlas of the Heart - Brene Brown Susan Fowler books on motivation

Establishing a Classroom Community

How do you build a classroom community? This is the question Kayla tackles with OEA member Rachel Hsieh. Rachel is a District Mentor and Coach and previously worked as a fourth-grade teacher. Rachel now spends her time mentoring new educators and classroom community is one thing she mentors them on.    Rachel tells us that classroom community is all about belonging. Some strategies Rachel and Kayla talk about include class meetings, incorporating joy and humor, establishing and revisiting co-created classroom agreements/norms and routines, and spending some time with your students out of class, for example at lunchtime or recess. As a teacher, Rachel even wrote letters to her students.    Community doesn’t mean people can’t disagree but that there’s a respectful way to approach disagreements, so Kayla and Rachel discuss options for repairing harm when something hurtful happens. They also emphasize the importance of creating a team with students’ families and establishing open communication with families.   Resources: Designing for Care: Building + Maintaining a Humanized Classroom (video)- NEA/Jeffrey Austin & Kristal Jaaskelainen Back to School with PBS KIDS: Design an Inclusive Classroom - Mike Lang Instructional Equity: What, Why, and How in Equity in the Classroom - Rachel Hsieh The Power of Literature | Lessons For Elementary and High School - Rachel Hsieh & others