Dec - Coffee Talk Tuesday Summary

Boosters: Get Ready for the New Year 🥳

Thank you to everyone who joined Zoom on December 12th for our monthly Coffee Talk chat. If you missed it, please join us for the next one on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you are already registered, you will be invited to all future chats this school year - no need to register more than once. See our Events page to sign up if you are new.

As we usher in the new year, January presents a golden opportunity for a fresh start to our school year journey. It is the perfect moment to rekindle our commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. Let's seize this moment to rebuild relationships with our students, colleagues, and stakeholders. By revisiting and refining our expectations, we can set a solid foundation for success. Consider recalibrating our accountability systems to ensure that they align seamlessly with the principles of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Let's work collaboratively to make these frameworks not only effective but also efficient, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to thrive.

Summary

Here are some of the comments and suggestions from our online chat.

  • Expectations - January (or after any break) is a great time to revisit the school-wide and classroom expectations. Remind students what the expectations look like, sound like, and feel like.

  • Lesson Plans - take time to review your Expectation lesson plan to reteach students what it looks like to be Respectful in the classroom, hallway, cafeteria, or bathroom. Do the same for your other Expectations.

  • Relationships - create a contest to see which class (Grade 2 or 6) or group (math or social studies department) can earn the most tickets or points for showing Respectful behavior in school. Choose any one of your Expectations. Tickets or points are tools to remind adults to recognize students for demonstrating the behaviors and skills we want to see in school.

  • Accountability System - reteach staff and students your Behavior Flowchart so everyone knows that Expectations will be reinforced consistently, predictably, and equitably. Remind staff that the Behavior Flowchart is actually a Teacher Behavior Flowchart to help the adults in school be more consistent.

Plan Multiple Booster Activities

In Chapter 12 of our PBIS Tier 1 Manual, we remind PBIS/MTSS teams of four elements to consider in order to maintain and sustain tier 1 or school-wide systems, data, and practices. Take a moment with your team to come up with activities or see our book for dozens of authentic and proven examples.

Priority

Increase priority by elevating the visibility of PBIS/MTSS practices, incorporating it into policy, and connecting it with other initiatives. Remind people how your practices lead to positive outcome when they are implemented with fidelity.

Effective

PBIS/MTSS will be perceived as effective if it produces desired results and outcomes. Demonstrate your effectiveness by sharing outcome data and attributing results to your expectations, lesson plans, reinforcement systems or other practices.

Efficient

No one needs ‘one more thing’ on their plate. PBIS/MTSS must be easier to implement over time and easier on resources. Accomplish this by sharing written documentation that is replicate and durable from year to year.

Adaptable

Change is guaranteed in any school system. Maximize the adaptability of your PBIS/MTSS practices by using data-based decision-making, assessing fidelity, and communicating with all stakeholders regularly.

Free Resources

Our PBIS Tier 1 Manual shows teams how to use all these tools.

 
 
 

Our New Year Wish for You

Together, we can create a school community where everyone feels valued, respected, and equipped for success.

Wishing you a rejuvenating start to the new year.

 

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