Two Rules is all you need!
- Everyone will feel good about being here.
- Everyone will feel safe about being here.
Helping you establish these two rules will ensure your focus on building a solid foundation for cultivating a nurturing, positive and achieving learning community.
Will this make me or others feel good? Will this make me or others feel safe?
When students master the skill of asking these two questions before they act, they learn empathy, responsibility, how to be a good friend, how to be a good community member, how to identify problems, how to identify feelings, and how to search for solutions to problems. When these two questions become the core of a school’s culture, the students are creating resilience resources for themselves and for each other.
- Take all of the data you have collected this school year
- Determine what your three goals will be for the new school year
- What is the vision of the school?
- What is the mission of the school?
- What are the core values of the school?
- What are the beliefs of the staff at the school in regard to student learning? Student behavior?
At the start of a new school year, it is essential to prioritize not only student learning but also the holistic well-being of each child. Recognizing the significance of mental health, schools must dedicate resources to support student’s emotional needs and address any underlying trauma. By creating a safe and inclusive environment, educators can foster trust where students feel comfortable sharing their struggles. Through comprehensive programs, students can develop essential skills like accepting responsibility and understanding accountability, empowering them to grow into responsible and compassionate individuals. By emphasizing resilience-building activities and teaching coping strategies, schools can equip students with the tools to navigate challenges effectively and academically and emotionally thrive.
There are many ways to plan a school year with a theme-based focus to capture all the points discussed today. If you want free ideas and plans, please email me at yohobren@gmail.com. I will be happy to help you plan a theme-based year!