Recently, all Feaster Charter teachers had the opportunity to reflect on how they are building relationships. With our teams, we thought about what it is that we are doing to be supportive to our learners and how we are following through on our vision statement:
At Feaster Charter School, students are at the center of all decision making. We prepare our students to become 21st century learners in a multicultural society by infusing Visual & Performing Arts (VAPA) as well as Science, Technology, Social Studies, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM/STEAM) into our daily curriculum and literacy instruction. This integration challenges our students to communicate and think critically, creatively and collaboratively. By introducing the Arts and Sciences we are fostering leadership and reasoning skills, as well as increasing self-esteem at a young age to make a life changing impact. The students who leave Feaster Charter School will be lifelong learners who are on their way to being college and career ready.
Through building relationships with our students, we are helping to foster leadership skills and increase self esteem. Teachers on campus shared the ways that they are building relationships that will support their students to be life long learners.
Peace Path
When harm occurs, students work to resolve the harm by following the steps within the peace path.
- What happened?
- How do you feel?
- How does the other person feel?
- Discuss solutions
- Agree on a plan
- High five, hug, or handshake
Teachers have implemented the peace path in various ways, depending on what works best for the learners in their classroom. Several teachers have trained one neutral student to act as a mediator and lead the conversation in order to more efficiently resolve the conflict. Other teachers allow the involved students to take the language frame paper outside or in a quiet and calm area of the room and work through the conflict together.
It is important to note that one part of step one is to identify what happened. Sometimes there will be a disagreement over whether or not a harmful act occurred. In this situation, the discussion should be refocused to discuss why one person felt there was harm and what can be done to prevent this in the future.
Trust Circles
The primary purpose of trust circles is to build a community prior to any kind of harm or hurt taking place. If the students feel that there is a positive classroom community and the environment has been cultivated to be one where everyone is included, this can prevent harm from occurring. The secondary purpose of trust circles is to hold discussions when certain character strengths are not being demonstrated.
Together, over the years, we have created some effective trust circle prompts. Feaster and the Positive Behavior Committee (PBC) has worked to ensure that all staff members and all classrooms have the resources to hold purposeful trust circles.
Restorative Circles
Even if trust circles are held daily and the prompts are purposeful and effective, we have to remember that certain unavoidable events will cause conflicts within the classroom. When this happens, we can work to restore the community and show our support by holding a trust circle that relates to what occurred in the classroom.
Restorative circles do just this – they bring together the three parties involved in a conflict. Those who have acted, those who were impacted, and the community. Together, in a non-accusatory manner the harmful action is reflected upon, the impact it had on everyone is discussed, and a prevention plan is agreed upon. The group should come together with the common understanding that poor choices that hurt others happen and we can learn how to resolve the conflict together.
Morning Greeting & Afternoon Closing
When we start and end the day with something individual like a high five, hug, or a handshake, it sets the tone in a positive manner. When we close each day with something personal as well, it leaves a positive last impression on the school day.
Atlanta Speech School created a video to demonstrate the impact we can have when we all work together to make our learners feel welcome on campus.
Check-Ins
Check-ins are not something that can be added to your lesson plans, but instead, they require you to know each of your students as an individual. Check-ins allow us to look at things like body language and facial expressions, keep a mental record of when students demonstrate certain avoidance behaviors, and knowing the strengths, interests, and values of our students.
When we check-in with a student, it can be for multiple reasons. You may know that a student gets very frustrated when they are faced with a complex math task. This would be an opportunity to check in with them before the lesson and remind them about using grit. You may have learned that a student is experiencing a particularly tough time at home. That would be an opportunity to remind them that you are there for them, not just as their teacher, but as a person too. The reason behind your check-ins will always vary, but they should be done daily and in different ways for each individual.
2:10
Teachers who spend 2 minutes a day for 10 school days in a row with an at-risk student can begin to forge a relationship. The purpose of this is to build a relationship beyond academics, but as a person. This will help start to build a mutual respect as you get to know this student as a person and as they get to know you as a person as well. In addition, taking this uninterrupted time can show that you genuinely care about the student. Some things you may talk about:
- What was something about yesterday that you appreciated?
- What is your peak and pit for the day so far?
- variations include: rose and thorn, high and low, mountain and valley, etc.
- What is something you hope for today?
- I learned about _____ recently and am thinking about _____. What do you think
- especially effective for students who are not likely to communicate with in depth responses
- Share an experience and ask for the student’s thoughts.
- What are you most interested in?
What you discuss in the time is not as important as what you hear during these two minutes. It is crucial to listen to what this child is telling you. Recently, I was talking with a child and he was telling me about what he values about his free time after school. This was something that I was able to remember and ask him specifics about the following day. It was clear that he was surprised that I took the effort to not only recall what he said, but also to ask him about it the next day. This was the beginning of us forging a respectful relationship. Of course this is also something that is sensitive and needs to be fostered and continuously cared for. The more that you listen, encourage, and recall, the more trust there is between you and the student.
10/2
This strategy comes from GLAD and is a great way to keep students engaged and using accountable talk. The 10/2 strategy gives the teacher 10 minutes of talk time and the students 2 minutes of talk time. The brain research shows that this allows time for students to learn, synthesize, and commit to memory. When students have a “risk free environment” to explain and listen to academic concepts, they are more likely to actually learn.
10/2 also helps build relationships because it gets students talking together and sets the tone that everyone can learn from each other. Even you, as the teacher, can gain knowledge from the students in your classroom. That is why we are all learners – because we can learn from each other!
Overall, we are working to build strong relationships with our students. This post includes just a few strategies that are being done along with simply knowing your students. The strong relationships we build with our students will have an impact on them academically and socially and emotionally. The way we work to connect with our students and families can have a powerful impact on how our students take on challenges.
Feaster Charter 