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Safe & Welcoming

Student Centered

Common Culture of Instruction

Inclusive

Fun & Engaging

The ARUSD classroom components in which all students can thrive will be:

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A classroom environment where all students can thrive is…

Safe & Welcoming

  • Teacher sets the tone and manges consistent, predictable, appropriate culture of care and inclusivity
    • Student behaviors are strategically managed with timely responsiveness
      • Restorative justice practices address harm, restore relationships, and build community
      • PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System)
        • Schoolwide students expectations are published and referred to regularly to prompt appropriate behaviors in various settings on campus
        • Adults teach and reteach expected behaviors
        • Social and collaborative skills are developed through practice and reminders
      • MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)
      • Progressive discipline plans serve as anchors in managing classroom behavior
      • Data inform behavioral interventions
          • Specialists support behavior plans
          • Counselors support the school’s SEL plans

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    • Emotional safety and acceptance of all people is taught and strategically supported
      • Anti-bias, socially responsible curriculum
      • SEL curriculum
      • Restorative justice practices

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  • Teacher nurtures learning and fosters relationships
    • Questions, check-ins
    • Intentional facilitation with opportunities for student autonomy and interaction
    • Learning support/ scaffolding is available to ensure that all students can access the learning.
    • Students are safe to try and make mistakes

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  • Physical Space is designed for optimal learning
    • Organized and clear of clutter
    • Posted messaging reflects core values of love and respect
    • All students’ thinking is represented in work that is routinely displayed
    • Safety routines and expectations are established and acted upon to ensure health and well-being of all

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A classroom environment where all students can thrive is…

Common Culture of Instruction

(BEST PRACTICES)

  • Supported active engagement
    • Step by step guidance available for students throughout the lesson
    • Visual supports for clear expectations
    • Structured collaboration
    • Structured written and oral communication
    • Interactive and hands on activities

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  • Teacher facilitating learning
      • guided practice
      • modeling
      • questions
      • checks for understanding
      • variety of integrated technology
      • eye contact, dialogue about learning, for task completion

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  • Consistent targeted instruction driven by assessments
    • Integrated ELD & Designated ELD
      • Implement constructed meaning
        • Backward Design
        • Infusing language into content teaching
        • Interactive student practice
        • Reading and word analysis strategies
        • Support formal writing
        • Assess and refine instruction

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  • Teacher has as strong command of the art & science of teaching
    • Strong pedagogical practices

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      • PBL, Socratic Seminar, Regular feedback, design thinking
      • Prioritizes SEL
      • Systematic PBIS, RJ practices

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    • Responsive Interventions

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      • Immediate response to frequent, routine, formative assessments
      • Academic extended learning opportunities
      • SEL supports

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A classroom environment where all students can thrive is…

Fun & Engaging

  • Progressive innovative tools are used to redefine teaching and learning
    • Tech tools are utilized to facilitate student centered learning opportunities
    • Critical thinking Curiosity/interest/relevance are all piqued for students

  • Students are actively participating and stretching /pushing themselves
    • Collaborative, Creative
    • High caliber thinking/critical thinker
    • Whole child engaging activities: art, athletics, STEAM, clubs
    • Application of skills learned in addressing a challenge/ problem.
    • Teachers are similarly actively engaged -- working alongside students, prompting, guiding thinking, explaining.

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  • Strategic engaging strategies are routine in lesson design
    • Project based learning, Socratic Seminar, Regular feedback, design thinking

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  • Humor is an integral part of the classroom
    • Opportunities to be “silly” and laugh-
    • Teachers and staff to be seen as human beings. Spirit days embedded, student council, SEL activities and opportunities for students to lead. It’s all about building positive relationships. Open Mic Mondays! Field trips and assemblies.

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A classroom environment where all students can thrive is…

Student Centered

  • Culturally responsive instructional planning begins with the students in mind
    • Lesson design considers and builds on students’ strengths and honors multiculturalism
    • Students have a variety of opportunities to demonstrate knowledge
    • Clear relevance of learning to students’ lives is intentional in all learning

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  • All learning designed for facilitated student creation and ownership
    • Teachers letting go of that “power” in order to move the learning
      • Facilitation of high interest student activities informed through student interests and input
      • Students’ voices and choices valued and embedded in lesson design
      • Students carry the cognitive load of problem solving in active learning
      • Peer leadership, peer support, peer critique practices are systematic and valued

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    • Cooperative/Collaborative learning
      • Lessons are designed for structured, inclusive interdependent teaming
        • Designed with visual, and linguistic resources
        • Sequential support is accessible to all learners
        • Exemplars and rubrics define optimal performance

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A classroom environment where all students can thrive is…

Inclusive

  • Student empowerment through routines that encourage student autonomy, agency, and independence
    • Build on prior knowledge and experiences
    • Know our students academic needs
    • Allow for student voice & choice
    • Facilitate creative, innovate ways to express learning
    • Strong belief in students’ abilities

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  • Culturally responsive
    • Develop asset-oriented mindsets
    • Affirm student and community culture
    • Know our students personally
    • Curiosity/interest/relevance are all piqued for students
    • Connect deeply to school community

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  • Scaffolded to to ensure accessibility for all
    • Structured processes for work
    • Intentional language development

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  • Inclusive School- wide community
    • Builds trust across students, family and community
    • Builds authentic relationships and community of care with staff and students
    • Clear expectations for schoolwide campus culture and engagement/school spirit