Equity and Access Newsletter
Elementary Edition May 2018
What Everyone Needs to Know About High-Performance, Teacher-Student Relationships
Strong teacher-student relationships are vital and dictate the lasting impact you as a teacher will have on your students. Advocates of evidence-based learning say students who have positive relationships with their teachers will likely do well in school.
Strong teacher-student relationships shape the way the student thinks and acts in school. These positive relationships will allow your students to feel more accepted in class and about school overall, which results in above average effects on achievement. Research shows that these positive teacher-student relationships cause students to work harder, to take a risk and to ask for help when needed. John Hattie, author of Visible Learning, states that “the relationship you have with your students has a greater effect on their results than their socio-economic status, professional development or Reading Recovery programs.”
What do these relationships entail?
Productive Teacher-Student Relationships: Element 13 KEYS TO CARING RELATIONSHIPS
- Warmth – let your students know you accept and care for them and for who they are.
- Empathy – understand your students and how they feel about what is going on around them.
- Time – be mentally and physically present when talking with your students.
Productive Teacher-Student Relationships: Element 2
- Give your students the guidance and structure they need.
- ·Reinforce positive behavior.
- All children can and should improve how well they do at school.
- Improvement comes from hard work.
Greater support is sometimes needed for one student more often than others to meet your standards
It is important that we accept our students for who they are, but we want them to understand the potential for success they possess. Our job is not to accept (or gloss over) bad behavior or to allow substandard work. However, our job is to let them know we care and that we will support them to excel.
“Teacher-Student Relationships Crucial to Results.” The Australian Society for Evidence-Based Teaching, www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/crash-course-evidence-based-teaching/teacher-student-relationships/.
Hot Fun In the Summer Time for Teachers and Students!
We are approaching the end of the school year and I am sure you are looking forward to a summer of fun, rest, and relaxation. Summer should be a stress-free time of enjoyment. But, most teachers spend their summers working instead of resting. You spend your time planning for the next school year, going to workshops, or teaching. So where is the real break? These relaxation tips for teachers from The Educator’s Room by Teresa Cooper will give you a few ideas on how to have an enjoyable summer break:
- Plan a Family Vacation - spending time with your family can make a difference in how you feel after spending a school year working and grading papers.
- Sleep In - it is great to enjoy mornings without an alarm clock. Sleeping in can work wonders for the body’s memory, learning, immune function, and metabolism.
- Eat Real Meals - like breakfast, lunch and dinner. Take some time to prepare healthy meals and enjoy the time with your family.
- Read a Good Book - that you do not have to think about, but is enjoyable. Everyone loves a book that is fun, easy to read and is delightful.
- Get Some Sun - going to a nearby water park, public pool or a beach could be just the break you need. But, don’t forget your sunscreen. Your body will appreciate the vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can cause you to feel unhappy, gain weight and have aches and pains. So get some SUN!
- Do Whatever You want - enjoy your summer and don’t think about kids, school improvement, planning, or professional development, just enjoy your summer, you have earned it.
On the other hand, our students are planning a fun-filled summer without being given tips on how to enjoy their break. If you were to ask them I am sure they would have a list of things they plan to do. As teachers and parent we know that we need a plan in place to help them retain their academic knowledge from the last school year. The two words that can help prevent learning loss this summer are enrichment and involvement. Dr. Gail Gross, in her article Fun Ways to help Prevent Summer Learning Loss, recommends several ways to help your students have an enriching and involved summer:
1. Visit your local library. The library is a great source for many activities. Kids can find reading material, record stories, and taking advantage of the libraries summer programs.
2. Go on field trips. Field trips to the zoo, history museum, science museum, walking trails, and science and art museum. These field trips will open up opportunities to discuss topics on the sites you visit.
3. Spell F-U-N with family game nights. Family game night including Scrabble, Taboo or crossword puzzles, is a great way for your child to polish up on spelling. And simply enlarging their summertime vocabulary.
4. Teach about money, stocks and bonds. Using a newspaper as a teaching tool is an excellent way to teach your student about math.
5. Cook with your children. Cooking is a wonderful way to teach about measurements and how to use fractions. Theme nights for dinner not only teach cooking skills, but math, as you teach your child how to measure and convert weights, volumes and numbers.
12 Fun Ways to Help Prevent Summer Learning Loss
“6 Ridiculously Refreshing Summer Relaxation Tips for Teachers.” The Educators Room, 1 Nov. 2016, theeducatorsroom.com/6-ridiculously-refreshing-summer-relaxation-tips-teachers/.
Gross, Dr. Gail. “12 Fun Ways to Help Prevent Summer Learning Loss.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 Aug. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/fun-ways-to-help-prevent-summer-learning-loss_b_5435718.html.
What's In Your Tool Box?
What is a Bias Incident?
A bias incident involves conduct, speech or expression motivated, in whole or in part, by bias or prejudice. It differs from a hate crime in that no criminal activity is involved. It is critical, though, that we understand the value of a swift, clear unflinching denouncement from school leaders as soon as the incident occurs. The school community must hear “This is Not okay.” We need to help everyone channel their empathy more deeply and consider the impact if it were their child/grandchild. As Robert Putman reminds us, “They’re All our children.”
Seven Steps for Responding to Bias Incidents
These are simple, familiar steps you use for a variety of issues-in this case, personalize them for the bias incident:
1. Focus on safety first.
2. Conduct an investigation and get the facts.
3. Denounce hateful acts and address fears.
4. Involve everyone – teachers, counselors, staff, administrators, students, parents and community members in finding solutions.
5. Support the victims.
6. Enforce appropriate consequences for perpetrators.
7. Work towards unity.
For more specifics,please read SPS' approach to handling Bias Incidents.
Resource for Supporting Students and Families with Issues of Equity
“Identifying And Responding To Bias Incidents.” Teaching Tolerance, 29 Aug. 2017,
Cinco de Mayo May 5th Let's Celebrate!
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta! Hosted by Grupo Latinoamericano and Springfield Art Museum. May 5th at 5:30 pm. Springfield Art Museum.
Did You Know?
Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts by Leslie C. Aguilar says, ‘Stereotypes are so powerful that we often hold on to them even when evidence disproves them.” If we apply fixed beliefs about a group to an individual, we distort the ability to see that person clearly. Aguilar states that stereotyping is demeaning and offensive. These negative stereotypes can cause serious consequences on our lives.
I would like to share with you a few so-called positive stereotypes to avoid:
- All Asians are good at math.
- All African Americans are good at sports.
- All African Americans can dance.
- Women are good nurturers.
Have you ever heard any of these?
- “You don’t look like a(n) _____________.”
- “You’re not like most _______________.”
- “She’s really articulate for a(n) __________.”
As an educator how would you handle these incidents? It is important that we are intentional when dealing with stereotypes. It is a choice. We have to make a conscious choice to interrupt stereotypes instead of perpetuating them.
I would like to share a few recommendations from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts:
As an educator how would you handle these incidents? It is important that we are intentional when dealing with stereotypes. It is a choice. We have to make a conscious decision to interrupt stereotypes instead of perpetuating them.
You might find these few recommendations from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts helpful:
- Individualize - We should treat people as individuals not as members of a set. "You know how they are." We can interrupt that stereotype by saying “That hasn’t been my experience; I’ve found that within any group people are still distinct individuals.”
- Avoid Stereotypical Jokes and Humor - They many times are demeaning and embarrassing to the person listening. "I'm sure you were trying to be funny, but that stereotype is no joke. Some people really believe that."
- Interrupt Stereotypes - When stereotypes surface in your own words or the words of others' in your decisions, and action, question them rather than acting on or repeating them. How do you interrupt stereotypes? You can speak up. "Hey, I know we're just kidding around, but let's think about the impact of that comment." Others will be more likely to receive your gift of feedback if you do not wrap them in blame, anger, or criticism.
Book of the Month
This Is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson is the story of a family’s journey north during the Great Migration. A time when millions of African American families relocate from the Sothern states to the North seeking better opportunities. The story begins in South Carolina with a little girl who found a rope one summer. The little girl had no idea how important the rope would become as part of her family history. The rope was passed from generation to generation and used for many different things from jump rope games to tying suitcases on the car when they moved. This Is the Rope is a wonderful story of how a family held on to the past adapted to change and embraced the future.
This Is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration can be found in Springfield Public School Libraries.