Plan for Managing the Learning Environment

Name: _____Hannah Julia Paredes Kilnoski_____________________

Student Grade level or Grade range (e.g. PK-5): ___K_____________

Subject Area: ________English______________

Classroom Culture and Climate: Write a reflection on what you think constitutes a positive classroom climate. List 3-5 strategies that you would like to try in your own classroom. The strategies should rely on professional learning communities and address the physical, social, and emotional needs of the whole child.

Classroom Culture and Climate

Reflection:

I think a positive classroom climate is a lot of how the teacher and students interact. You can have no materials, no resources and a horrible school situation and still have a positive climate by having positive interactions with students. I think for me, I see my students everyday and for a long time. I greet them when they come to school in the morning, I spend time with them during our class, I play with them outside, I help them in class transitions, I say goodbye to them when they leave school and they can elect to come spend time with me during their Montessori time (many students want to see me so we made a list for students to come see me). On a very basic level, saying the students’ names, giving positive praise for participating, trying their best and correct answers gets you a long way when creating that climate. I think that climate can also mean student comfort. I try to have some basic class routines so help students feel safe and prepared and not scared or caught off guard. I have found with my special needs students having a general routine and expectations helps their mood and helps contribute to a happy environment.

Strategies for Positive Classroom Climate

Engaging with the hardest student at the beginning of class- I actually did this all this week and I found it to be really helpful. I was kind of doing this before greeting him a lot but this week I sat with him to drink water before class and then walked with him to our class space so he was on time for class everyday and I asked him a question and this really positively affected his overall behavior in class.
Social Support between students- When doing pair work and games, I usually make pairs for students to work with. I think I could set up more activities where students can pick their partner then switch to a new partner and continue for a couple rounds so that students can have good positive interactions with many of their peers.

Start Classroom Management at the Door- My students always have a break just before my class so I will greet them at the door and calmly and quietly invite them into the classroom so there is an atmosphere of calm and ready to learn from the moment they enter the classroom. I think this will contribute to a positive environment by ensuring all students are ready to learn and have a positive mindset that will help contribute to an effective class.
Montessori Method Mediation- I work at a Montessori school and one of the things we are encouraged to do is to assist with mediation but ensure that the students are the ones driving the mediation. In my classroom we have a mediation table where students can ask students they’re having problems with to discuss their feelings and explain why they’re angry. I have done a lot of research on this and have watched some videos on how to effectively help guide the students’ mediation processes. I think that the approach of it being student-led is very specific and unique to Montessori but I have seen my colleagues use this method and from my perspective it has really helped with the class climate. It empowers students to solve a lot of their own problems though they sometimes need a bit of guidance.
Use relevant student humor- this strategy can be used in both physical and online classes. Using relevant humor can help to put students in a positive mood and can sometimes even help students remember content. I remember my greatest teachers and professors using memes to engage with us on a more significant level and with my kindergarteners I use simple slapstick humor to make them laugh, things that they don’t need any language skills. I will act surprised when hot potato lands on me (even though I’m the one stopping the song) and then participate like everyone else. This makes the kids laugh and puts me on the same level as the students.

Strategies or Modifications for Virtual Learning Environment

I think having a screen for the beginning of class to show the necessary materials for that day’s class can help to best prepare the students so they know exactly what materials they need in their learning space so there’s no wasted class time.
Sending out recordings of the class and the accompanying slides or other resources used can help students if they need to go back and review something or even are interested in further reading or research
Getting students moving in the online class is so important. It’s easy to forget to make time to stretch and move in online class like you would in your physical class. Movement can help students to focus and can help to contribute to a positive class climate. You could also invite individual students to share movements or stretches so it can be interactive among students which is an important dynamic teachers need to include in their class
Using assistive technologies like captions can help to further your efforts on creating a positive class climate. Platforms like Zoom and Teams have options now that will add live captions to the conversations, this could be used to help support ELL and hearing impaired students so everyone feels more comfortable and ready to succeed

Resources

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/43049/20-tips-to-help-de-escalate-interactions-with-anxious-or-defiant-students

https://k12engagement.unl.edu/strategy-briefs/School%20Climate%20&%20Culture%202-6-16%20.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u086rr7SRso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SckUevGH-Pk

https://www.slideshare.net/edutopia/32-strategies-for-building-a-positive-learning-environment

Classroom Norms and Behavior Expectations: Classroom norms are the foundation of a safe, engaging, and student-centered learning environment. List 3-5 clear, concise, and positively framed norms and expectations that will guide the learning environment.
1. Universal and Simple: Focus on some themes or big ideas that might include respect and integrity. Do not include every possible rule or policy you might need; rather generate a few overarching norms that encompass many rules.
2. Positive: Norms are positive statements about what students and teachers do in order to learn and collaborate effectively. Avoid negative norms (i.e. “Do not…” “No…”).
3. Collaborative: Involve your students in developing and discussing norms and expectations. This allows them to contribute and gives ownership of the class.

Classroom Norms and Behavior Expectations

We will pay attention when others are talking- In my class, this includes looking at the speaker, sitting quietly and not talking when others are talking
We will be respectful of others’ space and things- in Montessori we don’t really teach sharing as a go to practice. The Montessori method is to acknowledge that someone else is using that thing so they should wait and find a new toy/activity and take turns. This process ideally should be led by the students with teachers facilitating the taking turns talk if and when needed.
We will respectfully show when we want to participate- this norm also comes from our class problems and Montessori methods. Students can decide what activities they want to participate in during their Montessori time and I think that giving opportunities for student choice is really important so this norm is basically including things like raise your hand when you want to participate or say something. This helps to avoid shouting or the classic “ooh ooh” and jumping up and down
We walk in the classroom and hallways to keep us safe. This is a really common norm in most schools but really important to emphasize in kindergarten since they get excited and run. Instead of saying no running, our quick reminder is just to say “Walk please” and that’s a good reminder for students.
We ask for help when we need it. I teach my students to ask for help and to encourage questions. This does two really positive things for our classroom environment. It makes sure that everyone is comfortable with asking questions and helps to create a positive learning environment

Strategies or Modifications for the Virtual Learning Environment

Make sure your learning space is ready- have the necessary materials for class. This also requires the teacher to have a screen maybe as a welcome screen of what materials students need for class so as students enter the virtual classroom, they can see the materials list and prepare those ahead of time.
Check that your camera and mic are working before class time- usually platforms like zoom ask this before you enter a meeting but maybe in the first class introduce an expectation that students should try to log on to the class ten minutes before class to help troubleshoot some of those problems.
Be respectful of mute buttons- raise your hand, indicate or write in the chat if you want to share in class
Be mindful of distractions- some situations may arise where there are distractions in your space that affect other students’ learning. As best as possible, try to limit distractions, i.e. don’t show your pet in the camera while we’re having class, eat on camera, etc.
Create a learning environment in your place- online class is still class so be sure you’re in your class space, not out at the movies, in a restaurant, etc. this will help students mentally be in the mindset for class and learning

Routines and Procedures: Clear and consistent routines and procedures assist teachers in managing their learning environment effectively. List out your top 3-5 routines and procedures that you would implement in your own classroom. Following a routine lets students know what to expect each day in class. While moving away from the routine periodically can be effective for special days, doing it often causes students to be unprepared. (Add more rows as needed to the table.) Include modifications that you would make for situations when students don’t adhere to a particular routine or procedure.

Clear Routines and Procedures

Situation

Steps (and Modifications, if any)

Example: Entry Routine

Monitor the hallway between the bathroom and the classroom
Ask the students if they washed their hands and have them show me
Invite the students into the classroom and tell them to go drink water (In China, students get water breaks to drink warm water about every 30-40 minutes
When students finish their water, put their cups in the sink
Culture note: Drinking warm water is thought to bring about good health so traditionally kids will be told to drink some warm water every 30 minutes or so as this is seen as healthy in Chinese culture. Drinking cold water even for adults is considered bad and is said to cause stomach cramps, colds even the flu.
Tell students to grab a cushion or a chair depending on the needs of that class
Show students how they should sit on the cushion or in the chairs- all four legs of the chair on the ground, fingers and toes in safe places so they don’t get pinched, etc.
This is when my class starts, I have their names written up on the board and have the first two students who sit down pick an icon and color that we’ll use for the rewards for that class
Once everyone is settled, We will review our class expectations
Modifications:
If students are acting up and being naughty, we regroup everyone and have everyone sit on the blue line and talk about/review expectations for school and class behavior before moving on.
This type of discussion would be done in Chinese, the L1 of the students
We also ask concept checking questions to ensure all students understand what is expected of them.
If one student is having a temper tantrum or is having some kind of emergency, that student will be escorted out of the class to the hallway, nurse’s office, etc.
Remind students of teh class reward system and consequences
Once the class has regrouped and settled down a bit we can continue on with the routine

Book work

When we have bookwork, I model how to sit when doing bookwork first
Show the students the assignment and go through modelling the instructions and how to do the work
Have students sit ready for bookwork
Have two volunteers pass out paper and pencils (sometimes for coloring activities I just set up a table with all the colors on it so kids can come up and change their color as they need.
Monitor and ensure everyone is working, help and answer any questions
Modifications:
If students are naughty or disruptive, we stop and wait to regroup before moving on
If some students struggle with the task, i.e. some students struggle with writing, etc. the teacher will have those students sit closer to the front so they can receive more support and guidance as needed by the teacher
If some students are still struggling to understand we can explain the instructions again in Chinese

Group games

Most games if we’re standing we stand on the red line on the floor. In my classrooms there are two lines, a blue and a red. Our chairs are on the blue line and we stand on the red line for games. Usually I just tell the students, stand on the red line and they know what to do.
Once everyone is standing on the red line, introduce the game, model how to play
Modifications:
If students are unclear about the rules of the game or are being naughty, regroup to the red line
Once everyone is regrouped, ask clarifying questions on the rules and expectations to ensure everyone understands
Explain in Chinese if necessary
If a student is being naughty, remind them of the consequences. THey may have to sit out of a game, lose tema points or lose a sticker depending on the situation

Example: Exit Routine

At the end of class, I will have the students complete an exit ticket activity. Sometimes it’s taking turns playing a game or finishing a worksheet activity or I will ask students a question
Students will put away their chair or cushion and go to the bathroom and wash their hands and show a teacher before re-entering the classroom
After my class the students will usually eat lunch or dinner depending on the class. We will wipe down the tables (practical life activity) and set the tables with the dishes we use to eat.
After setting the tables, students will sit in their chairs and listen to some classical music or my co-teacher will play on the piano for them
Once the students’ food arrives, I will say goodbye to the students and leave to take my lunch
Modifications:
If students are naughty during the wrap-up or exit ticket activity, we group to the blue line
We review school and class expectations and ask concept checking questions and explain in Chinese if needed
Sometimes if things are really chaotic we take 10-15 seconds to sit and be still and quiet just to get refocused

Routines for the Online Classroom:

Entry Routine

Teacher comes in 10 minutes before class. Prepare any slides or screen share materials.
On home screen, have a slide detailing the class agenda and the list of materials needed for today so students can get those prepared ahead of time
Greet students and ask about their day and simple ice breaker questions
Modifications:
If students are late showing up and enter the VC being disruptive, remind them of class expectations and tell them to respect others’ class time
Emphasize and remind students of the reward system- stickers or stars on a whiteboard, etc.

Bookwork

Show assignment through screen share or ELMO projector or have a digital copy to show students
Outline and review materials if any are needed to complete the assignment
Go through an example problem together
Ask for questions
Monitor and be present for support
Modifications:
If students need help, there can be an agreed upon signal for help, i.e. a popsicle sign the student holds up or a zoom reaction to get the teacher’s attention, have their mic tuned on by the teacher to ask a question etc.
Check the chat box if anyone is asking for help there

Breakout Rooms

Detail instructions of task to do in breakout rooms
Write same description in chat box so students can go back to it if needed
Teacher should check in on breakout rooms, answer questions and ensure students are staying on task
Modifications:
If students are playing around with each other, I think that’s ok during the break since they can’t play and interact in person as long as it’s not inappropriate
If there is a student being disruptive and/or inappropriate during the break, remind them of the expectations and digital citizenship
If the problem continues warn the student they may have their camera/mic turned off by the teacher
If it continues, turn off camera/mic for remainder of break

Exit Routine

Exit ticket activity
Show and go through any homework or things needed before the next class
Ask for questions
Say goodbye, stay behind in case anyone has last minute questions
If any questions helpful to the rest of the class come up send to students or parents in an email or other communication method as well as any important reminders
Modifications:
Have a regroup signal or call to attention if needed
If students are getting distracted and tired at this point try to increase engagement by asking students to read or interact with the information in some way
In my younger students’ online class, I had simple I Spy puzzles in my slides at the end so they focused in to the important information at the end, that worked pretty well
Explain any important information a couple times and in L1

Transitions: Plan your transitions with a step-by-step process in the table below, and model with students within the first weeks of school. Review and practice these transitions with students after extended breaks, midyear, and anytime you add a new student to your class. Include specific instructions you would use with students with special needs and English language learners.

Transitions

Situation

Steps

Example: Whole group to small group Transitions

Students would probably be sitting on the blue line. Me or my co-teacher will instruct students to go to the bathroom and drink water before we split into groups
After students go to the bathroom and drink water, me or my co-teacher will call one group (big group or small group) to line up at the door while the other group sits down on the blue line ready for the next thing
In games or activities that require breaking up into smaller groups I usually just divide the class in half and help each group to either make a line with their chairs or into circles, whatever the game or activity requires
Finally, I review what group they’re in like saying “Raise your hand if you are on team 1!” “Raise your hand if you are on team 2!”
Modifications for Special Needs Learners:
For students with any physical ability limitations, they can still go to the blue line. The front of the classroom where we have class does not have any obstacles like tables furniture that needs to be moved to accommodate these students
Students with visual or auditory

Example: Bathroom Transitions

After morning meeting or meals when the whole class is in the classroom, we will dismiss students to go to the bathroom by group (girls, boys or big group, small group)
After class when only one group is in the classroom at a time, we dismiss students individually after completing some kind of exit activity
If a student needs to go to the bathroom during class or outside, they raise their hand and ask to go to the bathroom and get dismissed individually with a chaperone.
Modifications for Special Needs Learners:
We have two visually impaired students, one who requires a buddy to walk distances lie going from the classroom to the bathroom specifically walking through doorways. We have a teacher at the doorways and just check if she is walking with someone or we will accompany her to ensure she gets through the doorway safely.
Students with physical disabilities can still access the bathrooms and we have class assistants who can help the children in the bathroom if needed for ability or age reasons

Transition to bookwork

Model to students how to sit for bookwork
Show students the bookwork
Model how to do the bookwork
Have two students pass out paper and pencils or set up table with materials
Walk around and monitor and answer any questions and help as needed.
When bookwork is done, hand in to the teacher, reset chair and sit ready to be dismissed
Alternatively, put bookwork in lockers as they go to the hallway and to the bathroom
Modifications for Special Needs Learners:
I already help students move their chairs if needed since a lot of them are pretty young
Students who need help I move closer to the front of the class so they can get the support they need.
I did some research on the Whole Brain Classroom model and one teacher I saw had teh students repeat where they were going to keep everyone focused on getting there. She would say “Line to chairs” or “Chairs to Carpet” and the students would repeat it three times. By the end of the three times, students should all be in that place with the transition over. If everyone got to where they needed to be in time, she awarded the class one team point

Transition to outside or out of classroom

When we go outside, we line up at the door, go to the bathroom and remind students to wash their hands.
After students wash their hands we make a line in the hallway.
Once everyone is in the line, I ask what song they want to sing.
We sing a song and walk to wherever we need to go.
If we have to go up or down the stairs, I remind students to hold the handrail, do the stairs one by one and not to jump. Basic safety reminders.
Once we get to where we are going we line up and explain any rules or safety measures for that place.
To head back to the classroom, I call out “Ok, Class A let’s go!” and if needed further commands like “put the books/toys/bikes/etc. Away please!” and sing the clean up song.
If no clean up is needed or after cleanup we make a line to walk back to the class.
Modifications for Special Needs:
I make sure I can see everyone in our line, sometimes my co-teacher or class assistant will walk next to kids who need a little extra help and if we go on stairs, kids who need it (too small for stairs, visually impaired) will have someone to help them as needed

Transition from Montessori TIme to morning meeting

At the end of Montessori time, my co-teacher or I will clap three times and say “Thank you, ready? Go.” this call gets the students to chant “Thank you teacher, thank you children, thank you world, thank you everyone.”
After the thank you chant, we play a song (it’s the same throughout the semester). During the beginning of the song, students should put away their Montessori work.
Once students have put away their work on the shelves, they stand on the blue line and sing along and dance with the teacher to the song.
Students have until the end of the song to finish putting their work away
Sometimes we ask some of the older students to go around the classroom and check that everything is put away correctly
* The Montessori shelves have a special process to be put away and specific placements on the shelves, it’s not like any work tray can go on any space on the shelves, there’s a specific place for each work tray so the older kids check that everything is correct.
Modifications for Special Needs:
We already have some older students help the younger students put away the Montessori work and help roll up carpets, etc.
The song is a good auditory cue for students to clean up and stand on the blue line
Visually impaired kids have help of a friend or teacher get the work trays onto the shelves

Transitions for the Online Classroom:

Transition from welcome to start of class

When everyone is entering the virtual classroom, greet students, ask about their day and any ice breaker questions
Once everyone is in and it’s time for class to start, I used to play a song to get students up and dancing like a dancing alphabet song or a simple song they could dance and sing along to
After the song we would all sit down and I would start my screen share ready for the lesson
Modifications for Special Needs:
Have class agenda and materials on a clear slide with easy to read font and symbols, this will help any ELL students as well

Transition to bookwork/written work

When it was time for bookwork I would ask students to get their materials out and show me to ensure everyone got the materials at the beginning of class
I liked to include a picture of the worksheet or page we were doing onto my powerpoint slides or just as a picture I could screen share and draw on on the whiteboard feature so we could go through the work together and model it
After modelling, maybe we would do one question together depending on the type of assignment
Then I would have students work independently and have a silent timer on the screen so they could gauge their time a bit
After the timer went off, I would ask for some volunteers to share their work or if there was a student I hadn’t heard from yet, I would ask them to share
After written or book work on an online class I liked to do another stand up and stretch
Modifications for Special Needs:
Ensure that all students have their materials at the beginning of class and that they are close and accessible. This will help make this transition faster and less stressful

Transition to/from break

For breaks I would say, during this time you can stand up and stretch, go to the bathroom if needed, drink some water, get any materials for the next part of the lesson, etc.
During the break, I would turn everyone’s camera and mics off and screen share the slide of the class agenda and any materials students should have ready for the next part of class
I would also have a timer visible on the screen so students know how much time of break they have left
Modification for Special Needs:
The timer will help students to gauge their time
Having a call to attention with a song might be a good way to catch students’ attention and reel them back in for class

Transition to/from breakout rooms

Before going into the breakout rooms, show and model or describe the task
Write a description of the task in the chat box for students to go back and refer to
Pop into the break out rooms to answer any questions and ensure students are staying on task
Give a one or two minute warning before breakout rooms close
Meet everyone in the main VC room
Modifications for Special Needs:
Maybe when going into break out rooms you could send a picture in the chat of the task they should complete. The picture should use pictures and a clear font.
Pairing up kids with good, helpful partners will help support them a lot too.

Responding to Traumatic Stress: Create a data gathering exercise to understand students’ backgrounds and identify if any of them have experienced traumatic stress. Tip: Previous teachers are sometimes a good source of information. Complete the chart below with possible strategies that you would use for specific types of trauma.

Response to Traumatic Stress

Trauma Symptoms

Response Strategies

Anxiety, fear, difficulty with emotional regulation

Teach stress coping strategies while creating safe environment:

deep breathing

Yoga

de-stress/decompression exercises

Peace corners- a place to take a step back and regroup

Low lighting and soft colors

Difficulty trusting or connecting with others, isolation, disengaging

Give students positive individuals to connect with:

Teachers as role models and mentors

Check-in/check-out: show that an adult at school cares about their well being

Emotional Numbing, behavioral outbursts, aggressive behavior, substance and alcohol abuse

Show that you care:

Create emotional safe spaces

Share mental health resources like counselors, phone hotlines and free programming for students and families

Refer to medical/mental health professional

Clingyness, over attachment, separation anxiety from specific individuals

Create boundary expectations and positive contact:

Share appropriate boundaries

Give handshakes/ high fives

Give energetic and genuine greetings

Sadness, difficulty with emotional regulation, fear, Whole class sadness, difficulty engaging, loss of interest, dark themes in drawings, writings and behavior

Share help resources:

Share resources like counselors, hotlines, mental help programs

Take breaks in class:

Do breathing work

Mindfulness exercises

Move/dance around

Refer to a medical/mental health professional

Jumpy, scared of loud noises, sound/place associated flashbacks

Remind students they are in a safe place:

Depending on the situation, review safety procedures (fire drills, earthquake drills)

Help students identify sound/noise

Avoid triggering places

*Items on the left column focus on symptom type rather than specific events as these symptoms can be present in lots of different types of trauma.

Resources:

Link to group Coggle:

https://coggle.it/diagram/Yd9_pvKhpzUAO2E4/t/traumatic-stress

I got into a research frenzy and made an entire new document dedicated to what I learned about trauma. Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FAJa5-CD6NyylSYI3C22nm_PUMlecH_zryG2fl7DSuY/edit?usp=sharing

Technology Tools: Technology can improve the way you manage the learning environment by helping save instructional time, track trends in student behavior, create lines of communication with families, and even empower students to take leadership roles. Integrate some technology tools for managing the learning environment in a physical and online classroom into this planning document and explain how you plan to use each.

Management Technology

Technology

Rationale and Use

Moodle

Moodle is a really great all-in-one kind of platform. There are different systems available for K-12, Higher Ed, Vocational Training and Workplace that have different features depending on the population needs. I used Moodle in college for some of my classes and I remember it being straightforward and easy to use as a student. From a teacher’s perspective, Moodle is really convenient. You can add readings, lesson descriptions and quizzes. There are also messaging board, assignment submission and grade tracking functions. This is a good way to keep everything all in one place as well as a good way to communicate any assignment or class updates with students and parents through the messaging board features.

Voki

This one is really cool. You can create an avatar and background then record your voice so that it creates an animated cartoon character. 15 day free trials available to teachers. Teachers and students can create their own character or use animals or historical figures too. School license has loads of pre-made lessons that are customizable. The Presenter license lets you create a slide presentation with your animated characters and voice recordings.

I think this could be really cool to create recorded slide presentations and could be especially useful for students who get nervous presenting in front of the class or language learners since they can record as many times as necessary. The characters are also really cool and move around so I think it would be a really cool and engaging assignment or in-class project for any age group.

Technology for the Online Classroom:

EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle is Free for Teachers and Students. You can make videos into lessons, break it up by section and view stats on if students are watching the videos, what sections, how many times and how long. Pro is $12.50 a month. This adds features like upgraded student analytics, and unlimited storage on videos.

I think this would be a super useful tool for online lessons and even a good option for things like snow days. It is also really interactive so I think it would engage students.

NearPod

NearPod is a platform where you can put in and create Interactive slides and videos. It has built in gamification and activities so you can just choose one for your lesson without creating a whole game from scratch saving a lot of effort and time while assuring there are good and engaging activities in each lesson. You can also include and incorporate other platforms and technologies and incorporate them seamlessly onto your NearPod lessons so you can link tech like classDojo, Google Classroom, etc..

Garbanzos

A lot of these technologies can be used for physical or online classes. I think this site would be helpful for both. In a physical environment, you could have students work on a reading as a station or center or just as individual work in class. You could also assign readings and activities for home work or as supplemental activities for online school. The readings have a lot of varied levels as well as clear examples of specific grammar patterns. The site is also available in multiple languages so it would be good for language learners or learners learning their own language even.

Link to group FlipGrid:

https://flipgrid.com/02b32b20

I did a lot of additional research on tech tools and put my findings on a separate doc I will link here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MshXb8nBcRgNxTu-HywAAj9Y35c9kIUyQy4LcmGa7iE/edit?usp=sharing

Communicating With Families: Use the box below to describe tools that you would use to communicate regularly with families about students’ progress, achievements, or behaviors?

Family Communication

Tools for Regular Communication: What tools will you use to ensure that you regularly communicate students’ progress, achievements, and behaviors to families?

WeChat- Chinese social media app. We have class groups on WeChat so we can have direct communication between parents and teachers. We can share lesson goals or vocabulary as well as photos from class. WeChat also let’s us share helpful videos or websites that parents can access for additional out-of-school support or additional practice activities to do with their students. This is also a good platform for giving any notices about changed class times, or reminders to bring in permission slips or reminders for school events.
Parent-Teacher conferences- THis gives an opportunity to speak with families 1:1 which can be helpful for the parents, students and teachers. THis is a good way to bring up and address any concerns with a student and can provide a set time to collectively brainstorm solutions we can enact.
General small-talk coming into school or at dismissal- if nothing else this time and little conversations even just seeing each other’s face consistently helps to create a positive relationship between teachers and families and helps to build rapport so that hopefully any future situations are met with positivity and this can help to reduce angry or tension-filled situations that may arise in the future.

Reporting Requirements for Suspected Child Abuse:

At my school it's not really clear what our responsibilities for this are. Part of this too has to do with Chinese culture of not really confronting problems, that sounds horrible but unfortunately it's very true for a lot of situations. If I was concerned about a student I would probably mention it to that students' Chinese teacher or our school administrator and ask if there is anything else I should do to address the situation since I don't have any laid out responsibilities.