OEA Grow

Classroom Environment and Behavior Interventions in Early Elementary

In our final episode on behavior, Alexis speaks with Ashley East. Ashley has been a kindergarten and first grade loop teacher for ten years. Ashley loops two academic school years with her students, therefore typically having the same group of students for two years. She shares the advantages and disadvantages of this model and how the unique benefits of looping can be used to impact any classroom.
Ashley shares the importance of using a tiered instructional perspective for behavior expectations. She shares insight into determining when a student may need more than the universally designed instruction for behavior. One of Ashley’s unique approaches is a self-monitoring behavior scaling intervention that students complete everyday. She shares with Alexis how this scaling activity works for students, teachers, and their families.
Ashley shares her emphasis on explicitly re-teaching all behavior expectations after extended breaks from school and how to embed that into daily routines. Their conversation comes from an experienced perspective and is filled with easy tools to implement in any classroom. 
 
Resources: 
Explanation of Self-Monitoring for Improved Behavior
Transitional Kindergarten Improves Outcomes
Calming Corners

De-Escalation Strategies

In this episode, Alexis speaks with School Psychologist, Ashley Scott. Ashley uses her formal training as a school psychologist to inform a behavior and social-emotional learning environment at her school. She describes how multi-tiered support and interventions can positively impact the school environment.
For example, she describes her practice of greeting students by their name each morning as a quick relationship and rapport builder. She discusses the benefits to teaching coping skills when students are calm and regulated and why re-teaching those skills may be the missing link to success. Alexis and Ashley discuss the benefits of programs such as Zones of Regulation and how to implement that across an entire school.
Ashley shares why, post-pandemic, play is more important than it has ever been. Regulation of staff is also discussed. Ashley shares practical tips on how to keep teachers and support staff regulated during student escalations. The future of education depends on these issues. Alexis and Ashley end their conversation discussing the future of teaching and learning. Are we on the right track with students? Is the post-pandemic classroom what it needs to be for learners? Listen in to find out! 
 
Resources: 
Zones of Regulation
PBIS- Check in Check Out
How to Use Play for Learning by Jessica Arrow
10 Ways to Incorporate More Play in the Classroom 

Suicide Prevention

In this episode about suicide prevention, Alexis talks with Leslie Rogers, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Leslie is currently a Safety and Wellness Educator on Special Assignment in the Beaverton School District and has had a long career dedicated to the well-being of teenagers. In her current role, she oversees and implements policies and protocols related to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. She also provides coaching and consultations, especially with difficult student situations, and assesses student threat situations.
Leslie shares helpful wisdom for school and college employees. For example, she talks about reducing stigma around suicide and mental health issues. She also emphasizes that prevention and early intervention are about educating and equipping every person in schools to be a resource for students. We aren’t all social workers or therapists, but we can all notice changes and engage with students who show worrisome changes.
Alexis and Leslie also sing the praises of school social workers, whose magic is understanding family systems as well as working side by side with parents and guardians to navigate resources. They also discuss the power of teamwork in schools and the importance of showing up for each other. And to remember that behavior is communication. 
 
Resources:
988 - dial 988 for a Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
QPR
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) - Living Works
Adi’s Act Combat Oregon Teen Suicide Rates- Franklin High School Post
McKinney-Vento Act: Homeless Education Program
OHSU Intercultural Psychiatry Clinic
Erika’s Lighthouse - Free depression and suicide prevention support to schools
Oregon Youth Line - Free teen-to-teen crisis support

Behavior Strategies for the Early Elementary Classroom (Extended Episode)

How is student behavior showing up in your work environment? This is the question Alexis poses to first grade teacher Sara Roadman. Sara has 13 years of experience as a classroom teacher, experience as a substitute, and she’s also an OEA professional learning facilitator. With challenges such as large class sizes, Sara finds the student-teacher relationship is the most important strategy for classroom management.
Sara starts forging these relationships in the beginning of the year by setting routines and expectations, including front loading expectations around strong emotions. She uses the Zones of Regulation and finds them to be very helpful in working with students’ emotions. Alexis and Sara also discuss the effectiveness of the “little moments” like making eye contact and listening to students’ stories, building students’ vocabulary around emotions and behavior, establishing a sense of safety for students, and making sure every student has a voice.
They also emphasize the importance of forming relationships with other educators who interact with the same students and the value of Instructional Assistants, Counselors, Behavior Specialists, and parent volunteers. Finally, they offer some wisdom around having a reflective practice and keeping a record of your successes with students.
 
Resources:
Zones of Regulation
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Charlie Mackesy
Practicing Mindfulness with Students - A webinar with Sara Roadman
Pop-its
PBIS

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