RBL Implementation Continuum^[1] Strategies in Action - Playlist

Relationships

Pillar 4: Relationships

Students develop positive, collaborative relationships with teachers, other adults/mentors and peers which are focused on high expectations for academic and personal growth

Strategy Categories

What is it?

Specific Strategy Examples

Teacher - Student Relationship

Teachers develop supportive relationships with students which respect individual and collective identities in the community and empower learners.

RBL Teacher at Hook Elementary (Stephenville ISD) uses a Notice and Wonder protocol to connect with each 4th grade student at the beginning of small group instruction. Video (4:08 min)  

RBL Teacher at Dan. D. Rogers Elementary (Dallas ISD) provides insights about building powerful teacher-student relationships.

• Teacher describes trust as essential for learning and attaining high expectations. Video (1:04 min) 
• Teacher shares relationship “touchpoints” she leverages to make herself accessible and build partnerships with students. Video (2:13 min) 
• Teacher empathizes with students by remembering what it was like to be a student. Video (0:34 min) 

Learning scientists and an elementary teacher describe making connections with greetings at the door to help students start the day feeling cared for, empowered and encouraged. Video (2:44 min) 

Learning scientists and a middle school teacher describe cultivating trust with 1:1 time to help students feel seen, known, soothed and cared about which supports emotional well being and academic growth. Video (3:28 min) 

RBL Students at Haltom High School (Birdville ISD) describe the value of the teacher relationship and culture in their blended ELAR classes. Video (1:35 min)

High school teachers and students describe a robust advisory program aimed at building relationships through  a culture of support, appreciation and safety. Video (4:48 min)  

Relationship mapping, an approach developed at Harvard Graduate School of Education, helps ensure every student is known by at least one adult. Artifact

Peer Collaboration

Teachers create a learning community through facilitating peer collaboration that maximizes student learning.

RBL Teacher at Dan. D. Rogers Elementary (Dallas ISD) describes helping 4th grade students build skills to provide effective peer feedback in writing class and the broad impacts it has on relationships and the classroom community.

• Students follow a specific peer feedback process to elicit constructive suggestions during a group feedback session. Video (3:41 min)
• Teacher takes time to build a culture of trust before launching the peer feedback process in her classroom. Video (1:02  min) 
• Peers rely on tools during the feedback process to remind them to communicate using respectful and actionable language, and to offer deep, constructive feedback.

•  Sentence stem tool Video (1:37  min) 
•  Feedback mastery chart Video (1:27  min) 

• Teacher describes the broad impacts of a strong peer feedback process on relationships in school and at home. Video (1:57  min)

Multiplayer games increase student participation and peer interactions, foster social and emotional learning, and motivate students to take risks.  Video (2:27 min)

Learning scientists and a high school teacher describe how high school students deepen their understanding and build a sense of community during a scaffolded peer based discussion circle .  Video (3:37 min) 

RBL Students in ELA at Lehman High School (Hays CISD) use Peer Tutoring Directions and a Tutor Card to support and track peer tutoring interactions; and  may submit a full tutor card for credit.  Images  

High school students describe identifying teammates for help during math class. Text and Audio (1:13 min)

Ideas for peer collaboration in various subjects are offered in the blog “How Cooperative Learning Can Benefit Students This Year.” Blog  

RBL  Students from RBL campuses (K-12) describe the positive impacts of working with peers on learning and their school experiences. Video (2:21 min)

Sense of Belonging

Students believe they belong to the learning community which allows them to define their purpose and take leadership roles.

Learning scientists and teachers describe how to explicitly build a “belonging classroom” that affirms students for who they are in a positive and accepting way.  

- Kindergarten Video (4:17 min) 

RBL Teacher at Dan. D. Rogers Elementary (Dallas ISD) describes the intentional culture she creates to lay the groundwork for an effective peer feedback process that allows all students to participate and belong.  Video (2:41 min) 

RBL Teacher from Cisco Elementary (Cisco ISD) describes how she builds an effective learner-led classroom community to ensure her 3rd grade students are empowered, work with intention and support one another.  Video (5:04 min) 

Learning scientist and a middle school teacher describe using “talk moves” (sentence starters) to create a community of caring and respect by getting students to support each other’s participation in academic discussions.  Video (4:09 min) 

Middle school teacher starts each class reviewing and reflecting on the classroom norms students established to remind all students about their role in the learning community and to foster strong engagement.  Video (3:31 min)

Valor Collegiate Academies use a community structure called “Circle” when students meet weekly in small mentor groups to “check-in” and briefly share how they are doing and what they might need from their circle community. Artifact (pages 7-9)