Qualities of effective teachers who teach disadvantaged students: insights from the Varkey Teacher Ambassador Community

The goal of providing equitable quality education for every child will only be achieved if all children have access to a quality teacher. A shortage of effective teachers disproportionately affects children from poor and marginalized backgrounds. This study investigates the qualities, mindsets and behaviours of effective teachers who work with disadvantaged children using the Varkey Teacher Ambassador community. Our hope is that the findings from this study will inform policy makers across the globe and lead to improved policies to attract, develop, and retain effective teachers to serve the most disadvantaged students

Comprehensive Positive School Discipline Resource Guide

This document provides a guide to assist schools and districts by providing information, resources, and tools to further the development of Positive School Discipline practices

Teachers\u27 Perspectives on Their Role in Fostering Supportive Relationships with Their Students

Adolescence is a critical developmental period when the risk for developing several mental health disorders and problem behaviors increases. Promoting resilience, which describes healthy functioning in the presence of adversity, can be beneficial to this population (Masten, 2014). Supportive relationships with caring, competent adults contribute to the promotion of resilience in adolescents. Research demonstrates that teachers can serve in this role (Yeung & Leadbeater, 2010). While there is evidence in the literature regarding the benefits of supportive teacher-student relationships for positive youth outcomes and school climate, there is little empirical research on the factors that serve to cultivate these relationships. The current study examined teachers’ perspectives on their role in fostering supportive relationships with their students. Specifically, researchers examined associations among teachers’ beliefs about addressing student mental health needs, operating from a growth mindset, and committing to implementing programs that support student well-being and the school climate more generally, and how teachers’ beliefs were associated with students’ outcomes. It also examined whether longer implementation of a resilience-based program was associated with more positive student outcomes. Results suggested a range of effect sizes among the variables, namely a significant positive correlation among teachers’ (n = 621) and students’ (n = 4793) perspectives on school climate. Additionally, schools with longer duration of the resilience-based program were associated poorer outcomes. Potential explanations and implications are discussed

Indiana Department of Education PK-12 Social-Emotional Learning Competencies: Built Upon A Neurodevelopmental Culturally Responsive Framework

This document outlines the Indiana social-emotional learning competencies which expand on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) five core social emotional learning standards

Investigating Beliefs & Attitudes Regarding Equitable Teaching & Discipline Practices: Race Essentialism in Schools

Black, Latinx, and Indigenous adolescents experience more suspensions, expulsions, and school-based arrests than White students. However, minoritized students do not engage in problematic or disruptive behaviors more frequently but rather at equal or lower rates than their White counterparts. One factor that may contribute to this discipline gap is race essentialism, which is the belief that there are deep-rooted, unalterable traits and abilities unique to each racial group. Race essentialism, which has been linked to stereotyping, prejudice, intergroup trust and closeness, and cognitive flexibility, has not been studied in a school discipline context. Demonstrating associations between race essentialism and teachers’ beliefs and practices, such as discipline, empathy, and growth mindset, as well as their beliefs about working with minoritized students, may bridge the two fields of research. Therefore, the primary goals of the proposed study were to 1) examine the psychometric properties of a measure of race essentialism previously used in other contexts, and 2) using a vignette, investigate whether endorsement of racial essentialist views was related to preservice and practicing teachers’ beliefs and attitudes regarding equitable teaching and discipline practices. The third aim was to explore whether the manipulation of preservice teachers’ beliefs about race was associated with perceptions of diverse students and their discipline practices. Generally, the results provided evidence that race essentialism is related to educators’ perceptions of minoritized students’ misbehavior and their beliefs about these students more broadly

Understanding the Role of Educator: Leveraging Social-Emotional Learning in Service of Equity and Inclusion in K-12 Public Schools

Following a comprehensive literature review on the topic of social-emotional learning (SEL), a noticeable gap revealed insufficient research to ensure all students gain access to the benefits of SEL, particularly racially diverse students from under-resourced backgrounds. As a result, this qualitative research study used narrative inquiry to explore the beliefs, viewpoints, and lived experiences of educators working in a K-12 public school setting related to social-emotional learning and equity in education. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized to invite 14 participants to share in a semi-structured interview conducted virtually. Data from participant interviews were investigated through thematic analysis to bring themes and subthemes within the transcripts to the surface. Through a transformative learning lens, significant findings from the study unveiled considerations for what educators required for Adult SEL skills and mindset, resources, and professional learning to foster more equitable and inclusive learning environments for all youth. Participants advocated for educators to strengthen their adult SEL competencies and adopt a flexible mindset to reflect upon current practices, overcome obstacles, and embrace change. Participants also expressed how implementing systemic SEL involves stakeholder buy-in, consistently using an SEL curriculum, and weaving SEL efforts into the school culture to enhance academic learning and more equitable and inclusive practices. Through a critical lens, participants shared how a candid evaluation of current policies and procedures could shift educators’ mindsets to view SEL as a tool for fostering the competencies necessary to manage issues related to trauma and student behavior effectively. Participants also discussed how SEL naturally augments equity and inclusivity efforts by creating a sense of belonging and encouraging students’ identities and cultural assets to be seen, heard, and valued. Finally, participants acknowledged that implementing a transformative approach to SEL required conditions to support its efficacy, including effective school leadership, increased family engagement, and authentic measures prioritizing teacher well-being. Ultimately, the implications of this study revealed how transformative social-emotional learning can help build equity and culturally responsive teaching to promote inclusive learning environments and ensure all students benefit from social-emotional learning

Minor Setback, Major Comeback : A Multilevel Approach to the Development of Academic Resilience

This study examined communicative processes at multiple levels that may influence students’ academic resilience through transitions. Participant interviews (N = 23) revealed that at the individual level, students develop a resilient mindset and effective academic strategies, engage in self-care, and compartmentalize. At the relational level, students rely on teachers to demonstrate positive teaching behaviors, receive academic and emotional support from a variety of sources, and find role models to inspire resilience. Finally, students reported that the campus community gave opportunities to build support networks and access campus resources, but identified threats to effective use of these resilience-building opportunities. Finally, all but one theme demonstrated that the development of academic resilience typically happens outside the traditional classroom yet affects student performance inside the classroom. These findings contribute to instructional communication research because of the application of an underutilized theory and method in instructional research, the multilevel focus on communication and resilience development processes, and by providing practical insight to create targeted approaches to improve student resilience and related outcomes