Part 2 Would you respond differently??

I’ve had times when I relied on the special education teacher in my alternative science class to help manage students who really struggle in a traditional setting. The support that stood out wasn’t about fixing the students for me, but more about staying steady with them. The special ed teacher was very patient and consistency with the student. He didn’t take the poor behaviors personally. This definitely helped me with how to handle certain students more effectively. It reminded me a lot of what unconditional positive regard looks like. To maintain respect with the student, even when their behavior is difficult. 
Moving forward, I look to set clear daily expectations and to collaborate with my special ed co-teacher to address any anticipated issues with students, and to address students with steady tone and not get into arguments. I think many students can test boundaries. Using positive regard can squash a lot of negative behavior students might have in class. It’s not about giving students empty praise, but recognizing positive behaviors. Encouraging students that work or do the right thing in class can go a long way to having a good experience for everyone. 

When a student experiences true positive regard and truly believes their teacher’s care and respect is not dependent on perfect behavior, it can shift how they see themselves and school. I’ve had students who initially resisted feedback or acted out. I'm thinking of one student in particular who expressed a pessimistic, end of the world, "I'm not going to become anything great anyway" attitude, but when I stayed calm, consistent, and continued treating them with kindness, their attitude began to change. We eventually reached a mutual understanding and trust that allowed the student to put more effort into assignments and have fewer outbursts or disruptions in class. Positive regard communicates, “You still belong here,” even when they fall short, and that message often sticks with them long after the class ends. It helps students feel safe enough to try again, knowing that their mistakes don’t define how they’re seen. I hope that even now, my student looks back on their time in my class as a positive experience and connection. 

If I really believed a student’s behavior wasn’t a choice, my response would look completely different. Instead of displaying frustration, I’d slow down and ask myself what’s behind the behavior.....what’s the real need or trigger? It helps me stay calm and keep the relationship first. I was told long ago that a person's current mood is usually the result of prior interactions. 
I remember confiding to a colleague when I was battling with a student who constantly pushed limits. They reminded me not to take it personally and to stay consistent with my beliefs and mindset. That helped me hold that “nothing’s going to change my mind” stance, and eventually the student could see I wasn’t giving up on them. Once that trust was there, things turned around.

“Everyone gets a trophy” is a value I have in my classroom. I often say to my students “We all learn at different speeds and that is okay. Something that may be easy for you might not be easy for someone else and vice versa.” This helps students understand that it’s fine to work toward different goals and encourages them to value their own progress. Focusing on their own individual growth rather than just a generalized final outcome creates an inclusive environment, where students feel safe to learn, take risks, and make mistakes. This lets students not only feel supported by me but also become encouraging classmates for one another.

I think one of the great things about teaching is that we have colleagues who have dealt with the same students, or we can go to when we are not quite sure how to deal with certain situations. It gives us a sounding board, and allows us to see strategies that may work with students. Knowing some student like or dislike this or that is important to making connections and sometimes other adults know those things better than we do. Sometimes, even going to a counselor or social worker to see if there is something going on with the student gives us insight into behaviors and knowing that they may be going through something allows us to "handle with care". 

I think when we give students positive regard, and acknowledge them as people of worth, it doesn't take away accountability necessarily, but allows us to help change interactions. For the idea of everyone gets a trophy- We can have different interactions with each student- I may not be able to come to every event, but I can ask how it went. I can show students I care by asking follow up questions that are connected to what their interests are- Did you watch the Bills game? How'd your concert go? Hey I know you had a math test you were studying for- how'd it go. You're tired today, is everything okay? The care is different- but it is there. 

• What might be some strategies you are thinking of to use moving forward?

One strategy I plan to use positive reinforcement. Studies show that positive reinforcement can help students feel appreciated and can help in building positive relationships in the classroom. Setting measurable goals for behavior and academics for all students can also help students feel motivated to learn and cultivate students' ownership of their learning and of the classroom. Positive reinforcement can be as easy as writing positive comments, tailored to the individual student, on classwork, homework, quizzes, etc.  Writing letters of praise to parents and guardians can also serve as a helpful tool to get your learners to perform well. 
Another strategy I plan to use (and have used in the past) is culturally responsive learning/teaching. By connecting learning to students' cultures, languages, experiences, etc, we can build trust, make students feel heard and appreciated, empower them socially and emotionally, and help them develop academic skills. Culturally responsive teaching can include connecting curriculum to real-world experiences, as well as books, movies and music students enjoy, to promote deeper engagement and make connections with their individual, community, national, and global identities.

I guess I kind of responded to this section in the last prompt.  Oops.  
So thinking about this behavior as not necessarily a choice reminds me of some of the best parenting advice I got during my daughter's toddler years.  The temper tantrum is not usually about wanting the blue cup instead of the green cup- it's because some other need is not being met.  She is hungry or tired or overstimulated, and my job is to figure out what the need really is.  The student's behavior in class isn't necessarily meant to give me a hard time, to be defiant, or whatever.  It's probably because there is something else going on, and getting curious about what that is can be a productive response.
I love the example of giving each student an award to recognize his or her personal growth and effort.  How observant and in-tune the teachers are who can do that! Goals.  

The phrase "everyone gets a trophy" can definitely have a negative stigma to it. I have been on the criticizing end of that statement before. But now having a son in 3rd grade, I do appreciate when students at that age are awarded and honored for an individualized achievement (even though "everyone gets a trophy"). Also, I'm experiencing this firsthand as a JV basketball coach at my son's school. Every week we award a particular student athlete with a Christian Character Award. By the end of the season, every player on the team will be honored during a particular practice with a character award... "everyone gets a trophy." But I've truly seen how proud each one of my basketball players is with this award/honor and how truly excited their teammates are from them as well. So I've definitely begun to change my tune with how I felt about this in the past. Let's honor and recognize our students and our athletes for their achievements whether "everyone gets a trophy" or not.

I think that every kid “getting a trophy” is a little different than how it is described in the podcast.  A participation award is something that I have never really had a problem with.  If you show up and put the time in you deserve to be recognized for that regardless of talent.  Not everyone is going to achieve at the same level in sports or academics so recognizing the simple effort it takes to get up and go each day has never rubbed me the wrong way. 
Recognizing growth for everyone is a different approach.  It takes much more time and attention by the adults present each day.  Looking for areas of growth for students who can make it difficult to find them takes patience. I like the idea of having this viewpoint because it does reinforce the unconditional positive regards mindset.  You will never see growth or recognize it if you aren’t caring about your students. There is definitely more room in our educational system to look at the “Everyone gets a trophy” topic in this way.  If our goal is to try to increase the intrinsic motivations of our kids and have them come to school each day with a more positive mindset about being here, maybe looking for and recognizing their growth more often can help?