What Messages do Students Receive During a School Day?

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I started this article with a plan, as I was asked to write about what it is like to be a kid for a day.  I was going to shadow a student and record the Growth and Fixed Mindset messages students give and receive during a typical day. I did do exactly what I wanted to do:  followed a student and recorded the interactions that could be considered either Growth or Fixed Mindset messages.  I found that it was not as simple as I thought.  A message like, “good job,” is considered a Fixed Mindset message, but what if it is followed up with, “But tell me why you think ‘successor’ means that.”  That simple little follow up statement changed a Fixed Mindset response, to a Growth Mindset response, and communicated to the student that the learning was more about the process than the result. 

What does this have to do with being a kid for a day?  I shadowed a student, trying to get a sense of the messages students heard throughout the day.  What are we, the teachers, communicating, as we offer feedback?  I tracked those messages. I listened, typed, and coded all day long.  At the end of seventh period, our last class of the day, I still was not sure what conclusions I could draw about the Fixed and Growth Mindset messages our students were hearing.  I was not really sure what I could take away from the day, as a student.

Then I had the opportunity to be a substitute principal at an elementary school for a week.  As a substitute principal, discipline is one major job I get to handle.  I actually love that part of the job.  I enjoy talking with kids, learning about them, and working with them to create plans so that whatever went wrong, and landed them some time in the hot seat, will not happen again; so they will know how to respond the next time.  It is amazing how a little listening and some sincere respect causes a child to open up and share more details than I really need to hear.  But it does.  And they do.

One child, a fifth grader, was sent to the office for having a meltdown after his paper airplane, during a science investigation, did not achieve the longest flight in the class.  He was just barely beat out by another student, and he had worked hard, for days, trying to design and fold the perfect paper airplane (That’s a Growth Mindset!).  There is nothing wrong with a little competition, and the teachers had certainly set up the competition in a fun and engaging way, that had focused on the process (design, precision, principles of physics), and culminated in a competition.  And man was this kid upset when he did not place!  He threw his paper airplane, as hard as he could, across the room.  So, to the office he went, to spend recess reflecting about the problems caused by his actions.

I sat down with the student, and we had a fantastic conversation about how frustrated this child felt.  He enjoyed the entire process of the paper airplane challenge, and he was confident about winning.  Unfortunately, he had recently learned something about his family that shook him. With all the turmoil at home, and he was struggling to leave it behind when he was at school… thus, overreacting to the loss of the competition.  After our talk, though, he was feeling better.  He had some ideas for continuing his exploration of paper airplanes at home, and he acknowledged that other students had also worked hard on the challenge.  His loss was not their fault.  He was ready to go back to class, apologize, and have a great day. 

Feeling like I’d had a principal win, I attended to some other substitute principal responsibilities.  Soon there was a call on the walkie talkie that a food fight had broken out in the cafeteria.  I rushed to the lunchroom, to find the same student, and several other boys, engaged in some popcorn launching and exploding milk carton fun.  The cafeteria monitors did not think it was quite as fun.  Since the boys had taken from their community, they had to give something back: washing tables and cleaning up the mess that had been left on the floor.  Though they were not happy about it, all the kids slipped on some gloves and in minutes, turned the room into a sparkling lunchtime paradise.  After the clean-up, the boy I had talked with earlier walked over to the trashcan to throw away his glove. Plop.  It landed in the compost instead.  Out of frustration, one of the lunch monitors shouted, “What are you doing!  What’s wrong with you!”  The boy first became defensive, then turned around, and burst into tears. He crumbled. 

I do believe our students respond to Growth Mindset messages- but those messages are part of a process, and cannot be tracked or assessed in just one day.  These messages must be internalized, and that takes time.  When everything is going wrong in the life of a child, they have no control.  What we say and how we respond to their needs communicates whether we value the process or the product.  Yelling at a child for making a mistake, does not teach the child how to fix the mistake.  It takes more effort on our part, but rather than assuming there is something wrong with children who do not act or respond how we expect them too, we have to continue to teach and communicate the process.  Give children a chance to fix mistakes, both in academics, and with behavior, and recognize the effort it took to make a change.  We may not be able to fix a Fixed system, but we can be cognizant of how we respond to children, and allow mistakes, while we encourage Growth over time. That is a Growth Mindset.

Kelli Dizmang

Title I Math Teacher and Administrative Intern

Jemtegaard Middle School

Washougal School District

kelli.dizmang@washougalsd.org

How Do We Create a Classroom Culture That Fosters a Growth Mindset?

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Touted as a recipe for success in a number of arenas, including business, education and sports, a growth mindset, compels people to “believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” This is in direct contrast to a fixed mindset, which leads people to “believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort” (Dweck, 2010).  

Recently I set off on a journey to learn more about growth mindset, hoping to provide richer learning experiences for my students, so I googled Dweck’s work, coming across what I shared above.  And though I eventually read on, this was as far as I had gotten before I made a discovery about the implications of this theory in education, a discovery that struck me straight on. I don’t think growth mindset will work in education. Truly. I don’t think it is just something teachers can pick off the shelf and decide to do, unless...unless, they first are willing to create a classroom culture that can breathe life into and sustain the growth-mindset approach. If they are not willing, not committed to doing this, then it is probably best left on the shelf, for it will not succeed. So how do we create a model that fosters a growth mindset among our students?  Let’s take a look at the current model first.

The Old Model

There’s a reason why so many of our students have a fixed mindset. We gave it to them. In many respects, as they crossed the threshold into education, we handed them a mindset that was then fed by the “learn-it-and-leave-it” approach to learning, which consequently resulted in their developing fixed beliefs about their abilities, stuck there from our passing judgement as we moved them through crazily crammed curricula. Year after year after year.  We teach. They learn. We test. They succeed.  They fail. They begin to believe what they can and can’t do. After all, we told them. And before long they have set ideas on their abilities. It is no wonder that by the time kids reach high school they are rigidly set in their perceptions. I am not good at math. I suck at writing. I hate science. In sum, they hate learning. We have to change that. Kids aren’t naturally predisposed to shun learning. They have learned it. But can we change that? I believe we can.

The New Model

To begin, we have to quit thinking of learning as a line.  We, instead, have to think of learning as a circle.  The old model suggests that we move kids along—ready or not.  In the old model, learning is predicated on success or failure, generally determined in a final test at the end of a unit of study, a final judgment before moving on to the next unit of study, a long linear approach that moves through content but never really allows kids to discover the effect that dedication and hard work can have not only on accomplishment but also perception. But what if we did it differently? What if instead of “learning it and leaving it,” we gave kids consistent chances to be dedicated and work hard to improve both their abilities and perceptions, continuously circling back to and around the key concepts and skills that we are focusing on?  If we did, then we’d need a new model. It might look something like this.

Poster created by Krissy Venosdale,
@venspired

Steps to Creating a Classroom Culture That Fosters a Growth Mindset

1.    Slow down. Learning takes time.

2.    Focus.  Condense content into meaningful, manageable sets of focus standards. Give kids a smaller number of skills and concepts to really focus on and to really learn.

3.    Adopt a path-to-proficiency approach: practice, feedback, performance.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  Really, this is the most important step.  This is the circle.  

4.    Implement and embrace an assessment-for-learning instead of an assessment-of-learning approach to evaluating student performance.  If we can get kids to believe that assessments are crucial measures, milestones for growth rather than ability alone, then we are moving in the right direction.

5.    Let go of the “one-and-done” approach to learning.  Let kids redo, re-submit, and retake everything.

6.    Make reflection a central, consistent component of the learning process.  Learners reflect.

7.    Provide independent learning opportunities. Consider project-based learning.

8.    Adopt and model your own genuine growth mindset.  You have to walk the walk, too. Engage in independent learning opportunities with your kids.  Be a learner.

Above are the steps that I am following as I make my own way. And now that I have taken those initial steps, I cannot imagine going back to my own fixed mindset about my ability to change students’ perceptions about their learning, about themselves.  I found freedom.  I found a growth mindset.  Let’s help students regain their own freedom.  Let’s help them find their own growth mindsets. In the end, it could be the most important thing we do for them. 

Monte Syrie teaches English at Cheney High School and education classes at Eastern Washington University. He is also the creator of the education blog ,www.letschangeeducation.com<http://www.letschangeeducation.com>.

How can the use of inclusive language reduce bullying?

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Words can be a bridge or a barrier to a student’s successful school experience. How teachers and administrators use words to describe the lived experience of their students, families, community members, and culture can invite a student into a dialogue, push them out, or ignore them entirely. Inclusive language is an invitation and is about more than just words – it is about respect, creating space for students to succeed, and recognizing the unique needs of each student. However, changing the way we communicate can be challenging - it requires thoughtfulness and intentionality. We probably don’t realize that many of the words, examples, and practices we use perpetuate bias, bigotry and, therefore, bullying. Communicating in an inclusive way requires patience of oneself and others and we must learn to think and speak differently by challenging our own norms of communicating and use of language. This advancement is essential if we aim to provide equity in teaching and learning.

© kmiragaya/123RF Stock Photo

The term “inclusive”, when used to modify “education”, addresses the need to provide instruction that is representative of all populations including, but not limited to, people of different races and ethnicities, cultural or religious values, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, gender identities, or gender expressions. While people who identify with any one or more of these groups are protected by our state’s anti-discrimination laws, they are often underrepresented or invisible during instruction. Inclusive instruction ensures that each student has access to education that is equitable and representative. 

What does inclusive language look like?  It includes the use of the word “partner” rather than boyfriend or girlfriend; the phrase “he, she or they” rather than the use of one assumed gender pronoun; words like “if” rather than “when” in reference to marriage or having children; parent or caregiver instead of mother or father; examples of historical figures in social studies that represent diversity of gender, sexual orientation, religious values, disability, and gender. The use of inclusive language recognizes the wide range of expressions that are possible at different points in one’s life, helps challenge limiting and potentially harmful stereotypes, and encourages students to consider viewpoints and experiences beyond their own.  It expands rather than limits the possibilities for students and for education, and it suggests openness rather than restriction. There is no negative consequence to students when this shift in practice is made – only a benefit to more students.

All students deserve to learn about all subjects in settings that are safe and supportive. No one deserves to be bullied.  We know that LGBTQ students experience a highly disproportionate rate of bullying. In Washington, according to GLSEN’s 2013 National School Climate Survey, the vast majority of LGBT students regularly heard anti-LGBT remarks, and most had been victimized at school.  In these instances, inclusivity not only improves the learning experience, it decreases health disparities. The Human Rights Campaign, in a recent “call to action,” addresses the specific needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) youth related to sexual health education:

For LGBTQ youth to experience comparable health benefits to their non-LGBTQ peers, sex education programs must be LGBTQ-inclusive. Inclusive programs are those that help youth understand gender identity and sexual orientation with age-appropriate and medically accurate information; incorporate positive examples of LGBTQ individuals, romantic relationships and families; emphasize the need for protection during sex for people of all identities; and dispel common myths and stereotypes about behavior and identity.

How can the use of inclusive language reduce bullying?

·       Using inclusive language is a critical component of creating a safe and supportive school environment for all students and staff.  Building and classroom conversations about the importance of language should be regular and on-going, as a way to support staff and students in developing a new, common vocabulary and approach to communication.

·       Observing teachers, staff and students using inclusive language reinforces its importance and its impact.  It helps create expectations for student behavior and helps everyone in the school community develop competence as they try out new ways of communicating ideas and feelings.

·       Hearing inclusive language helps vulnerable students feel safe and respected.  In addition to seeing real-time application of the values expressed in most school policies and procedures, it lets students know it’s safe to report or intervene when abusive or harassing language is used.  Knowing that adults and peers care enough to change their language provides students with the confidence to challenge hurtful and harmful interactions.

It’s not enough to limit derogatory language, although that should be a goal in all schools.  If we truly want to reduce bullying and increase school safety and equity, we all must commit to examining and changing our own use of language and move toward including every student in a positive way.  We need to be willing to intervene when we hear hurtful language being used, but more importantly, to move toward communication that brings us together and helps each member of the school community feel recognized and valued for exactly who they are as individuals. This could make all the difference – to one or one thousand of your students.

Laurie Dils,

Program Supervisor for Sexual Health Education

OSPI

Laurie.Dils@k12.wa.us 

Marissa Rathbone

Program Supervisor for Health and Physical Education

OSPI

Marissa.rathbone@k12.wa.us

How Do I Prepare Myself to Teach in an Inclusion Classroom?

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Best practice would be the first thing that comes to mind, but what exactly does that entail?  As an educator, it is our job to teach students how to learn, even though we are labeled as math, reading, or science teachers.  If we as educators teach a child how to solve a system of equations, we say that we have had success, but if we can say that we taught that child how to be a lifelong learner that child will have success.  So is best practice different with inclusion?  The answer is no.  As an educator, it is my job to get to know my students and teach from where they are, which is exactly what a special education teacher does.  With general education students, I have to assess their starting point and attempt to get them to a higher academic level, with special education students the objective is the same.  There is a lot of research on differentiation and what it looks like in a typical classroom, so when the idea of inclusion came to our school all it did was stretch the level of academic levels in the class.

So back to the original prompt, how do I prepare myself to teach in an inclusion classroom?  The answer is that I use best practices for all of my students and differentiate my instruction according to where each student is academically.  There are many methods to assess where students are, but with special education students there is extra support.  The school psychologist provides a detailed profile on the student that helps to adjust my instruction accordingly.  By knowing the disability of my students I can repeat, tier material, adjust scales, and use any other type of written accommodation that fits the needs of the student.  Also, by knowing their academic levels I can search the current standards and see the progression of skills so that I can teach at their level.  There are language acquisition strategies that I use for all my students that are beneficial to all abilities.  These strategies are sometimes very hands on, but also very visual with cues that allow for students to encode the information.  There are many accommodations that are used for special education students such as extended time, being read to, shortened assignments, and other strategies to help them, but in reality they benefit all students.  The fact that these students have it written down somewhere tends to give them a bit more priority and rightfully so, but I hope that my instruction hits every student at their level.  

One of recent successes I’ve had with the inclusion model stemmed from using a strategy from G.L.A.D. (Guided Language Acquisition Design).  As a society one of the biggest fears is speaking in public; in classrooms the fear exponentially increases.  As educators, we rely on formative assessment to gauge our instruction and the learning of our students.  With numbered heads, students are randomly asked to participate, but they are prepared by their group members with a discussion before they are called on to respond.  One of my non special education students was called on and was struggling to use the right terminology.  After a few seconds of struggle, the student had the deer in headlights look. It was one of the special education students that not only assisted him, but helped to assess and correct his thinking.  The student used examples the group talked about and you could see that he was very confident in his assistance.  I feel that these little moments are worth the efforts of having inclusion in our classrooms.  

In conclusion, I feel that best practice will always be the way to go for mainstream and special education.  As we understand more about the mind and the human spirit, that practice will evolve for the better.  As educators we need the will and the skill to help all of our students, so our practice must evolve along with what research learns. Inclusion is much more than an opportunity for our special education students to learn academics; it is a way to get to know a complete world, so we must do our best to give them the best experience.  

Bulmaro Ruiz

6th Grade Math Teacher

Toppenish Middle School

Toppenish School District.

ruizb@toppenish.wednet.edu

Carie Ruiz

6th Grade Reading Teacher

Toppenish Middle School

Toppenish School District.

ruizc@toppenish.wednet.edu

Why is it Important to Teach Native History and Culture?

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In May 2015, Washington Senator John McCoy (Tulalip) successfully sponsored a bill requiring that tribal history and culture be taught in Washington’s common schools. Washington Senate Bill 5433 was seen as a refinement of a 10-year-old Washington State House Bill (HB 1495) sponsored by then Representative McCoy encouraging such teaching. In support of HB 1495 and SB 5433, Washington State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has published curriculum developed in collaboration with Washington’s tribes—free and available at indian-ed.org.  This curriculum entitled, Since Time Immemorial is endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington and can be adapted to incorporate unique regional differences through collaboration between school districts and the local tribe(s). 

What might seem to some like a mere adjustment in social studies curriculum can also be framed—by Native peoples—as an important step in healing education systems after decades of tumultuous history. For generations the role of education systems in Washington State and beyond was to enforce federal policy calling for the eradication of Native languages and cultures and the assimilation of Native people into mainstream “American” ways of being. This forced assimilation caused incredible trauma for Native communities and their children forced to attend Indian boarding schools; for many, the trauma can still be felt in tribal families today.  Many contend that this trauma is a considerable factor in the ongoing struggle for Native students in today’s schools. This ongoing struggle is call to action for educators seeking success for all students. 

In a study from the early 1990s, the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force, (United States Department of Education, 1991) a committee assembled by the United States Secretary of Education to determine solutions to the ongoing struggle for American Indian students in meeting their fullest potential, culture is implicated in many important ways. Citing federal assimilationist policy from the 1880s, the task force highlighted the importance of strategically and intentionally incorporating traditional tribal cultures into schooling to both reverse the impact of such assimilation policies and strengthen tribal communities through student success in contemporary times. Task force members make the following suggestions:

·         Educators must incorporate culture and language into regular instruction. 


·         The community must be highly participatory and collaborative in efforts to
educate children. 


·         The pedagogy of the school must genuinely incorporate students’ backgrounds
and experiences into the school program.


More recently, and locally, Washington State’s OSPI published Proposed Standards for Culturally-Responsive School (2000). This set of standards begins to become somewhat more specific about what educators will actually do in schools in which tribal culture is recognized and leveraged. OSPI’s Office of Native Education suggests the following standards: Educators who have been properly trained are responsive to and incorporate local Native ways of knowing, learning and teaching in their work. Educators who meet these standards:

1.    Use the local environment and community resources on a regular basis to link what they are teaching to the everyday lives of the students.

2.    Participate in community events and activities in an appropriate and supportive way.

3.    Work closely with parents to achieve a high level of complementary educational expectations between home and school.

4.    Recognize the full educational potential of each student and provide the challenges necessary for them to achieve that potential.

5.    Adapt instruction to the culturally contextual learning & cognitive styles, and needs of their American Indian students.

As school districts and teachers work to meet the requirements of SB 5433, suggested

standards, strategies, and solutions from the past several decades can be realized.  The use of Since Time Immemorial allows for authentic and accurate inclusion of Native history and culture in today’s classrooms. This inclusion is a major step in improving educational outcomes for Native students. Where once policies actively sought the elimination of Native history and culture, we can now create learning environments where rich stories can be told from the perspective of this land’s Indigenous people.  So, why is it important to teach Native history and culture?  We teach Native history and culture because now is the time to make schools places that truly serve all students in ways that help create healthy, knowledgeable members of society. Now is the time to take steps to right the wrongs of history in any way we can.  Using culturally based curriculum acknowledges history and allows students to achieve their potential as future tribal leaders; no longer are Native communities invisible or disregarded in the school system.

In today’s diverse classrooms, though, the answer to this critical question (Why is it important to teach Native history and culture?) is complex. The same classrooms serving our students of tribal descent serve students from many rich, diverse cultures. Why might the teaching of Native history and culture be important for all students?  Because Washington’s 29 federally recognized tribes are unique in our history and contemporary society, it is important that an accurate account is shared with our non-Native neighbors.  Since Time Immemorial offers history and culture free of common stereotypes (pilgrims and Indians, and other pre-1900 ideas of Native people from other regions, for example). Using curriculum written with local tribes allows for the development of cross-cultural relationships that are built upon a foundation of understanding of true tribal history and culture.  This foundation will lead to a more productive and just society.  

References:  

Proposed Standards for Culturally-Responsive Schools: Indian Education Plan for Washington State. (2000). Olympia: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Since Time Immemorial.  indian-ed.org

United States. (1991). Indian nations at risk: An educational strategy for action : final report of the Indian Nations at Risk Task Force. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education.

Anthony B. Craig (Yakama), Ed.D.

Marysville School District

Director, Cultural Competency & School Support

anthony_craig@msd25.org

Chelsea Craig (Tulalip)

Marysville School District

Teacher/Cultural Specialist

chelsea_craig@msd25.org

Chrissy Dulik-Dalos (Makah)

Marysville School District

Manager, Indian Education Department

chrissy_dulik_dalos@msd25.org

What is the True Meaning of Discipline?

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A teacher in a middle school classroom hands out an assignment. As she walks around she notices a student is not doing the work. She gives the student a friendly reminder but three minutes later notices that he is still not doing anything. When she approaches the student again, he replies that he “can’t do it,” dropping an expletive in the process. What does the teacher do?  

Many people would say this child needs discipline, and I would agree. However, my interpretation of discipline may be different from others.  Discipline is about supporting and teaching the child. During our work at Jemtegaard, we have developed a culture of discipline which aims to teach students to self-regulate and learn from the situation. The three critical questions we use are:

1) What is the behavior?

2) Is the behavior a symptom of something else?

3) How do we support the child to learn from this situation?

Effective school discipline begins with understanding the reasons behind the behavior. Much of our work at Jemtegaard has been informed by Ross Greene’s book, The Explosive Child (2010). Approaching student behavior with the idea that “kids do well if they can” (Greene 2010) allows us to start the process of truly helping students to regulate their behavior. No student comes to school wanting to be unsuccessful. They want to do well, but they often have lagging skills that are getting in the way. Greene identifies some of these lagging skills as flexibility, frustration tolerance, and problem solving. The student in the above scenario most likely does not know how to start the assignment and doesn’t have the problem solving skills to ask for help. As the situation escalates the response of the teacher is critical. Is she looking at the child or looking at the behavior? Focusing on the child allows us to teach and support our students.

Last year at Jemtegaard Middle School, as a part of our focus on the whole child, we decided to transform our discipline processes at both the classroom and school levels. We started with redesigning our library into what we call the “Learning Center.” Students can ask for a Yellow Card, which allows them to go to the Learning Center to refocus and return to class. Teachers can also give a student a Yellow Card for behavior. The goal is to provide a place that serves as an intervention to behavior before it escalates to an office referral. The Yellow Card acknowledges that students struggle and may need early intervention. Students can also go to the Learning Center if they need one-on-one academic support or a quiet place to make up an assignment.  What makes this different from more traditional discipline is that a Yellow Card is not punitive. Instead they are given an opportunity to refocus and return to class without being “in trouble” for what may have been a minor event. This has been especially helpful for our students who deal with anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health issues, as we often have our school social worker or counselor available to meet with students. Every student who comes into the Learning Center is logged into a data collection tool that is monitored to identify students who needed an increased level of intervention or are trying to avoid a certain class or teacher. This removes the concern that the Yellow Cards are letting kids “get away” with poor behavior or using a Yellow Card to avoid work in class.

Our Learning Center model also allows us to change the way we use in-school suspension for more serious offenses. Previously we had our ISS students in a small room in the office that was monitored by a staff member. The Learning Center allows us to have our ISS students monitored by two or more staff members in an environment that is supportive and focuses on academics. Students in ISS are given academic support and are also available for debriefing, restorative conferences, and counseling that is unavailable if they are sent home.

Students have responded well to our discipline culture. We have seen a dramatic decrease of 77% in level two offenses (classroom disruption, defiance, disrespect, etc.) from the previous year. We have also reduced out-of-school suspension by sixty-six days. In-school suspensions were 13% of our total suspension days in 2013-2014; we increased this number to 38% in 2014-2015.

The systemic change our Learning Center provides is key in our focus on the whole child. Being creative with existing resources and finding strategies to support students have made these changes possible. We now have a student discipline culture that allows continued access to the curriculum, while ensuring that students are supported in learning from their mistakes.

Brian Amundson

Dean of Students

Jemtegaard Middle School

Washougal School District

brian.amundson@washougalsd.org

What Do We Mean by 'Whole Child'?

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When talking with educators, it is clear that everyone believes in educating the ‘whole child.’ It is almost as if saying anything less would be a self-incriminating statement of “I teach to the test” and risk being shunned by the professional community. In this way, the whole child is interpreted as simply something more than just teaching content. This is unfortunate because the whole child is much more than that. Therefore, it is time we delve into the important question: What do we mean by the ‘whole child.’

http://www.wholechildeducation.org/

In an effort to change the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long term development and success of children, ASCD has been developing and implementing the Whole Child approach to education since 2007. The Whole Child approach aims to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century by addressing students' comprehensive needs through the shared responsibility of students, families, schools, and communities through the following five tenets:

Whole Child Tenets

•    Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.

•    Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.

•    Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.

•    Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.

•    Each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.

The term ‘whole child’ is often over-simplified and misunderstood. It is not simply the antithesis of teaching to academic standards; it is teaching to those standards and addressing the other needs necessary for students’ long-term development and success.

To this end, this year Washington State ASCD’s monthly Critical Questions will cover a wide range of topics to foster a better understanding of one or more of these Whole Child tents. Please join the conversation with your comments, questions and experiences as we continue to work toward developing the whole child in Washington State and beyond.

Kevin Parr

Fourth Grade Teacher

Lincoln Elementary

Wenatchee School District

parr.k@wenatcheeschools.org