Transformative Principal cover image

Transformative Principal

Working through the Problem with Robyn Harris Transformative Principal 250

Oct 29, 2018
31:41

Whaley School is a separate day school with about 100 students with behavioral needs.

  • Some students stay through graduation, but goal is to get them back to a neighborhood school.
  • Sister school closed down and opened an elementary wing, so now a k12 school!
  • 100% special education population - level 4, level 5 is more like a residential treatment center.
  • Tier 3 in MTSS/RTI behavior.
  • Students can access neighborhood schools. No after-school activities at Whaley. Sometimes a parent goes with them to activities at other schools.
  • Why not inclusion at Whaley school?
  • Some of the behavioral needs are so intense that staff members do not have the support to deal with those severe behaviors.
  • Our motto is working through the problem.
  • Physical aggression they are showing towards others.
  • Strategies: Crisis Recovery Hallway - able to talk with intervention coaches to walk them through the conflict cycle, with whomever that may be!
  • What are you going to do when you go back?
  • Teaching kids to advocate for themselves.
  • We really believe in no suspensions
  • We give the same curriculum that they get at the other schools,
  • All of their communication becomes behavior.
  • An intervention coach in each classroom and there in the CR room. Intervention with Strategies and Support
  • To prevent recidivism, we need to teach skills to help them.
  • CR1 - something blows up and you lose your cool. Quickly getting back to class.
  • CR2 - spend a little more time talking about what is going on. Choose: mindfulness, exercise, or work.
  • CR3 - stay there the rest of the day.
  • How to help the teachers welcome kids back into class.
  • Every 5 minutes is a new beginning.
  • It’s ok to start fresh at the beginning of the next class.
  • Also have a few items that are specifically going to put them in the ISS room, Threatening, posturing, etc.
  • Eliminating behaviors
  • A lot of times teachers may see reactions, rather than instigating actions.
  • Suggestions, be very loud and say, “I don’t like that, don’t do that.“
  • Check in and check out.
  • 1st period talking about goals that they have.
  • When they go to checkout, tell how they did.
  • Doing so many checkpoints throughout the day. Behavior data every week.
  • Data review meetings can be called at any time to try to get a student back into the regular school.
  • Data review with the team, then we call a meeting with neighborhood school. Meet at the neighborhood school.
  • Sometimes self-sabotage - Extra help for kids that are getting close to transitioning.
  • Make sure kids feel that they have support when they leave.
  • Why not do a different curriculum with these students who are very different?
  • Students could have access to resource classes in all subject areas.
  • How to be a transformative principal? Build close relationships with students, be out there and make sure that kids know you think they are important.

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