Discipline or Punishment and Powerful Mindsets

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." ~William Jame

It's that time of the year.  Assessment season, spring fever, the thought of what still needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time, increase in spring activities, graduations, etc...  Life is happening and can be a whirlwind!  Managing it all can result in stress, which does impact choices and focus. 

This week, several questions about ways to respond to stress were posed to our Teacher Leader Coalition members.  They had great ideas such as: exercise, eat healthy, engage in mindfulness activities, provide brain breaks for students, cover a recess/class for a colleague, among many others.  I was impressed with the number of ideas that they came up with in a short amount of time! I felt better just from participating in this brainstorming session, so might be an idea for staff/team meeting kickoff!

Relating to this topic, I recently came across an article from Edutopia that provided additional ideas for turning stress into a positive force.  Here is the link if you are interested: 4 Powerful Mindsets for Turning Stress into a Positive Force.  This is what caught my eye from the article: If stress is the norm, is burnout inevitable?  The good news is, the answer is no. The latest research on resilience suggests that you can think about stress in ways that help prevent burnout and enhance well-being.  Check out the article for 4 powerful mindsets!

Another wonderful resource available to all staff is our Employee Assistance Program (EAP.)   They offer counseling, massage therapy, classes on mindfulness, among many other options to meet individual needs.  GIPS employees and eligible family members can participate in up to 6 free sessions!  They are also willing to come to the buildings and provide information to staff.  We all want to be our best for our students and families everyday, so a great support for anyone!  It's definitely worth investigating!

On another, and somewhat related topic, understanding how stress impacts the student brain is so important to the actions we take to address undesired behaviors that distract from the classroom learning environment.  This article from Edutopia provides some clarity around the difference between discipline and punishment to accomplish the goal "Every Student, Every Day a Success":  Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment.  I appreciate the examples of consequences that teach, restore and repair relationships and focus on our desired outcomes for all students. It's a short, informative read based on recent research. Strategies to consider to "RISE UP" for our students!

In closing, take care of yourself, be caring and thoughtful about others, and see the upside to how stress can positively impact your life!  Wishing you all a blessed and enjoyable upcoming Easter Weekend! 

The Value of our Substitute Teachers

 "We want to feel like part of the team, so appreciate it when the principal and other teachers welcome us and check to see how the day is going."  "GIPS teachers are leaving us with great lesson plans." "We want to continue instruction for students so they don't lose any learning time."

These are just a few quotes from a recent meeting with substitute teachers, and former long-term retired GIPS teachers.  This was a great opportunity to gain valuable insight about what is going well and what can be improved on our campuses to support our substitute teachers.

Although our desire is to have teachers and staff in attendance everyday due to the relationships, knowledge of students, content expertise, routines, and consistency, however, reality is that there are unavoidable circumstances, illnesses, and professional responsibilities that happen.  It is then that we call upon and rely on our substitute teachers!

This year, we are averaging approximately 60 substitute teachers per day across the district (the numbers are much higher on Mondays and Fridays).  Fortunately, we are also averaging a 95% fill rate which means we have a large pool of substitutes willing teach in your absence.

The role of the substitute is not just about coverage, it's about continuing to maximize learning time with students.  As you can imagine, this is not an easy job as substitutes have not had the time to build the relationships with students, analyze recent assessments to adjust to student performance, or have knowledge of the little tricks, strategies to support students that need additional academic and behavioral supports.

So how do we keep our high quality substitutes coming back when we need them? Here are a few tips beyond the typical sub binder information that evolved from our recent meeting as well as some suggestions from other resources:

• Identify someone to welcome substitutes and assist with getting to their classroom, making sure they have what they need.  The principal and/or colleagues plan to check in to see how the day is going.
• Train students to take on roles/responsibilities during your absence:  assign managers, directors, jobs that students can easily take ownership.  Leave pictures with names.
• Share learning targets, success criteria and outcomes expected during your absence to prep students ahead of time.
• Work with colleagues/principal to make sure everything is covered (plans for students that need additional support academically, behaviorally).  Clearly communicate any triggers and what strategies work with specific students and if there is a plan to follow.
• Include special schedules for in-class, pull-out supports and expectations of paraprofessionals when in the room.
• Clearly communicate brain break routines-resources and identify students to lead
• Use technology to inform the substitute ahead of time if appropriate: website, video of you providing instruction or directions, google classroom with materials to reference.
• Provide plan b options that engage students in quality work time (still follow routines)
• Leave contact information/extension numbers, identify key people to call if needing support
• Include a thank you note or comments of appreciation 

These ideas represent just a few ways to prepare and improve the experience for our substitutes, and as a result, the day of learning for our students. Please feel free to respond and share additional suggestions! Thank you for making an effort to make substitutes feel part of the team!  It takes all of us to RISE GI!