Category Archives: Professional Development

Becoming a trauma-informed school

A Journey to Calm: Becoming a Trauma-Informed School

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Trauma-Informed Statistics

Is your school trauma-informed? Do you know that more than 25% of American youth experience a severe traumatic event by their 16th birthday? According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network of that 25% many experienced multiple and repeated traumas. As teachers and administrators, we need to be trained to identify students who are suffering. Becoming a trauma-informed school can support students and staff in the teaching and learning process.

Each day students enter our schools with troubling issues that keep them from their full learning potential. However, teachers and administrators don’t always know what children experience outside of the school day. According to the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, over 60% of children surveyed experienced some form of trauma, crime, or abuse in the prior year. Some suffered multiple trauma. Consequently, the effects of the trauma follow the children into their school day. Then the reaction to the trauma can be disruptive or explosive in the classroom. Continue reading →

How to Create a teacher vision board

How To Create A Teacher Vision Board To Visualize Your Goals

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Vision Boards Are Popular

Vision boards are the rage. Typically, they are considered something very personal. However, vision boards are used professionally, too. For personal use, a vision board is used to bring clarity and focus on a specific goal. Displayed images are a representation of whatever your goals are. A vision board helps to bring it all to life. Professionally and as a teacher, you have goals, too. You can create a teacher vision board to guide you through your professional journey.

Creating a vision board is a great way to set goals, and they are fun to make. Both teachers and administrators can create and use a vision board. Why create a vision board? It helps to motivate and focus on your profession and classroom. Continue reading →

Keep documentation safe and ready for use

Keep Professional Documentation Safe and Ready for Use

Documentation is important!

Educators, are mostly optimistic and believe that all is good. You work each day, do what’s best for your students, and more. You’re a great employee with fantastic evaluations. You have no worries until trouble finds you. Suddenly, you have a supervisor or boss who is gunning for you! When this happens, you need to document everything. If the time comes, be prepared to fight for your career. When trouble comes, have your documentation ready!

You may think to yourself that this post is negative. Think of it as a life and professional lesson. Unfortunately, the climate today is about improving test scores, politics, school closings, and the lack of funding or resources. Many principals and teachers are feeling the pressure to “get it done” despite inequities, complications, and things not in their control. At some point, all educators are evaluated based the items above. What happens when you don’t meet the data points? When your school’s rating and scores aren’t increasing fast enough, who is held accountable? Continue reading →