A Behavioral Vaccine to Support Positive Classroom Behavior
Insights from Educate., 11th Edition
As vaccine efforts continue to ramp up, Sandra M. Chafoueleas, a school psychologist and Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, presents a different kind of a vaccine — a behavioral vaccine.
Chafoueleas notes that vaccines are intended to be preventive. It is a simple matter to receive a vaccine in early childhood to prevent more serious and possibly fatal diseases. As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes the latest inoculation, Chafoueleas is finding parallels between vaccines and the little things we can do as educators to support positive behaviors in the classroom.
I have written before on the importance of authenticity in the classroom and how vital it is to acknowledge every student, every day. To foster connections in the classroom, we must work hard to ensure no student is left unnoticed.
Chafouelas behavioral vaccines focus on the prevention of negative behaviors in the classroom by taking small steps to foster relationships.
Suggestions include fostering positive emotions, ensuring equitable disciplinary practices that are fair and inclusive, and recognizing that students come to us with different needs.
Like many educators, I have noticed a real difference in my classroom when I work to connect with each of my students. When there is transparency, communication, and connections, students feel safer in their environment and in their learning.
The need to connect with our students will become even more pressing this fall as schools begin to re-open. There will be students that are behind (or at least feel they are), or who have lost loved ones to the pandemic, or who have struggled with social isolation.
As empathetic professionals, it is vital to understand the unique needs of our students and work to ensure their individual needs are met.
My mantra as a teacher has always been “connection before content.” When students feel connected to a community, they are more motivated to learn. Connect first, then teach.
As one of my favorite TED speakers and late educator, Rita Pierson, stated: “every kid needs a champion.”
Education News and Research
To Summer School or Not to Summer School…
There has been an incredible amount of lost learning time this past year. School districts are floating the idea of summer school as a way to make up for the lost time. Jill Barshay reports in The Hechinger Report that studies prior to the pandemic show a concern with attendance rates and quality of teaching during summer school sessions. Barshay notes: “In a 2020 synthesis of summer school studies, researchers calculated that the benefit to students tends to be close to zero in math or reading.”
We have conditioned students to view the summer as a “learning-free” zone complete with camps and other activities that stray from the confines of the traditional classroom. Although some smaller studies report students do make academic gains, other studies show that summer programs are only successful when they are research-based. Before schools jump on the summer learning bandwagon, I am hopeful that they will at least consider the pros and cons while utilizing the latest research and not a blanket need to create more classroom time.
Teacher Turnover Less Than Expected
Matt Barnum at Chalkbeat, surprisingly, reports there is not evidence of large teacher turnover as a result of the pandemic. Barnum notes that experts are gearing up for a teacher exodus as the school year winds to an end and the high stress of this past year begins to lead educators down the road of a career change. Barnum states, “there’s no complete national data yet — that will take years, if it ever comes. Some state and local data show modest declines, rather than increases, in teacher turnover.”
In South Carolina, Washington, Colorado, and Michigan, teacher turnover actually dipped this year, and retirements have varied across the nation. There is speculation that the uncertainty in the economy might have led teachers to hold onto their jobs, and that when the economy begins an uptick, these teachers might decide to leave the field altogether. As with much of the pandemic data, it remains to be seen how much education will be impacted.
Biden Says: More Money for Education
Bident’s 1.5 trillion budget plan that was unveiled earlier in the week promises a 41% increase for the Education Department. Tony Romm at the Washington Post notes: “the proposal would double federal spending on Title I — the largest increase since the program was created more than 55 years ago.” The budget would also expand child-care programs and seek to hire more counselors and mental health professionals, a much-needed move in schools that are lacking the recommended amount of counselors.
The Upside to Education After the Pandemic
The Seattle Times Education Lab has partnered with several other media outlets to publish a series of “Learning from Lockdown” articles to promote solutions-focused articles that have resulted from the unprecedented educational changes from the pandemic. Stauffer highlights what a few districts around the country are doing to navigate future educational changes. Some districts are finding that some students thrive online with independent coursework, free from the social pressures of school.
Other districts are emphasizing the social-emotional development that has been highlighted and hope to carry over initiatives to brick-and-mortar instruction. There is also a push in some areas to offer more individualized tutoring for struggling students.
In other news:
Some colleges are requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students entering in the fall.
A proposed NC Bill would require schools to inform parents if a child exhibits “gender nonconformity”
Utah reports the teacher retention rate is at a five-year high.
Professional Learning and Inspiration
Tech-Savvy Teachers Help Students Succeed Online
Dave Winterstein from the Cornell Chronicle cites a recent study indicating students with tech-savvy teachers fared better in the pandemic than those with teachers that struggled to navigate online tools. Winterstein reports: “the study looked at the relationship between the instructor’s level of online teaching experience as well as whether the course used active learning strategies, peer interaction, and polling.” Results indicated that students performed better with teachers that had more technology experience.
Key Takeaways: Online learning should incorporate active learning that is structured and intentional. Teachers should encourage peer engagement to facilitate collaboration and mitigate the effects of learning loss.
The Vitalness of Digital Literacy
Greg Myre reports at NPR that Florida is seeking to teach digital literacy, a much-needed skill as misinformation runs rampant online. Mike McConnell, executive director at Cyber Florida, is leading the initiative to equip schools with the necessary information to help students navigate online environments.
The new project is called Cyber Citizenship, with the goal to spread these skills across the nation. Another Washington-based group called New America is curating valid and reliable online tools for teachers and students. Both initiatives will work to create a digital literacy program in Florida and study the results.
Key Takeaways: As digital literacy gains momentum, teachers should have discussions with students about how to find and use reliable resources online. These discussions must also center on the potential ramifications of creating and posting content.
Fifteen Mistakes Teachers Make Teaching Online
Rhea Kelly reports at Campus Technology that there are fifteen common mistakes teachers make when teaching with technology online. In a fall 2020 Educause survey: “students’ best experiences were generally related to the use of the learning management system, videoconferencing applications, recorded lectures and access to specialized software.”
Some of the worst experiences include inadequate instructor knowledge around technology, poor pedagogical practices, and technology issues that could be prevented.
Key Takeaways: The vast majority of the mistakes include inadequate instructor knowledge about technology. When teaching with technology, it’s important to remember the goal: student learning. Using tech for tech’s sake or just to try a new website can distract from the purposes of the lesson. It is vital to choose the right tools, which requires practice and research.
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About the Editor
Jennifer Osborne is an experienced educator with graduate degrees in Educational Leadership and Guidance and Counseling. She has taught in five countries across a wide variety of classrooms and schools. Jennifer is passionate about authentic education for students and personalized professional learning for teachers.
Read her Educator’s Bio at Jennifer Osborne Writes.