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Culture is what you do…

… Climate is how it feels.

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We have fewer interactions with hard-to-reach and hard-to-teach students.

The research evidence is that despite our intentions, our own humanity creeps into our practice. The truth is we avoid people we don’t like very much. Unfortunately, this is true of the interactions we have with some of our students.

The second component of strong teacher-student relationships requires a focus on equity. Students notice differential treatment, and they know who the teacher likes and does not like. That’s not to say that teachers should not differentiate curriculum and instruction; they should. But the relationships between teachers and students is not one of the areas to consider for differentiation. Every student in the class needs a fair chance to develop a healthy relationship with the teacher. Of course, some students are more likeable than others., and some are really good at proactively developing a relationship with you. But others don’t yet have the tools in their toolkit. It’s up to use to initiate and cultivate productive relationships, even with the hardest to reach kids.

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A “chilly” classroom climate

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Are criticized less often for failure
Are praised more frequently
Receive more feedback
Are called on more often
Have more eye contact from the teacher
Have frequent friendly interactions with the teacher
Experience acceptance of their ideas more often

Differential Teacher Treatment of High-Achieving Students

Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash

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There is extensive research on the changes in teachers’ interactions with high- vs. low-achieving students.

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ENGAGEMENT

>

BELONGING

OUTCOMES

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Adults create and maintain students’

sense of belonging in school.

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Belonging is built �by school-wide structures and practices. �

In trajectory-changing schools, students trust the school as a whole.

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Belonging is created not just by individual relationships, but by structures and practices across the school.

Research has shown that students generally trust their teachers, but that trust does not extend across the school. At trajectory-changing schools, students trusted the school as a whole. In surveys, more than 8 in 10 students at trajectory-changing schools said they felt supported by their school and cared for by people at their school, compared to around 6 in 10 students at schools with average learning.

Students at trajectory-changing schools were also more likely to feel challenged by their teacher. More than 8 in 10 students said their teacher asks them to keep trying when they felt like giving up, compared to fewer than 7 in 10 in schools with average learning.

In other words, belonging isn’t built just in individual relationships, it’s also built by school-wide structures. The whole institution must anchor all decisions in the experience of individual young people—not only because it’s right, but also because it’s the best way to build on students’ gifts and boost their learning.

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Additional Facilitator Notes:

- “Schools with Average Learning” is data collected from comparable schools from across the country with learning rates below 1.33 years

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Invest in your school and classroom climate.

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Belonging Builder #1

Greet Students at the Door

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Say the student’s name.
Make eye contact and match it with a friendly facial expression.
Use a friendly nonverbal greeting, such as a handshake, high-five, fist-bump, wave, or thumbs-up.
Give a few words of encouragement.

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10 middle schools committed to a two-week intervention of greeting students at the door.

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Cook, C. R., Fiat, A., Larson, M., Daikos, C., Slemrod, T., Holland, E. A., Thayer, A. J., & Renshaw, T. (2018). Positive greetings at the door: Evaluation of a low-cost, high-yield proactive classroom management strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 149–159.

Engagement increased by 20 percentage points and problematic behavior decreased by 9 percentage points when teachers started class by welcoming students at the door.

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Section 1: Exploring Relationships

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Exploring Relationships

Students’ names are used in positive and productive ways.

Proximity is used to foster connections with students and ensure their learning.

Students’ interactions with peers are respectful and productive.

Academic risk-taking is encouraged and celebrated.

Student ideas are valued and explored as bridges to learning.

Indicator 1

Indicator 2

Indicator 3

Indicator 4

Indicator 5

RIGOR

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Read p. 14 to build your background knowledge.

Next, we’ll watch a video of a Kindergarten dual immersion teacher using students’ names in productive ways.

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CHOOSE 1 SENTENCE FRAME COMPLETE AFTER READING Module 6�Write down your response. You will be using it in your discussion.

1. “This part of the lesson indicates that the teacher values…”

2. “The students’ responses suggest they were…”

3. “A pattern I observed in the classroom was…”

4. “I think the purpose of that instructional move was to…”

5. “Watching this clip challenged me to think differently about…”

CHOOSE useful LANGUAGE FRAMES to use AFTER VIEWING to shape your discussion.

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Exploring Relationships

Students’ names are used in positive and productive ways.

Proximity is used to foster connections with students and ensure their learning.

Students’ interactions with peers are respectful and productive.

Academic risk-taking is encouraged and celebrated.

Student ideas are valued and explored as bridges to learning.

Indicator 1

Indicator 2

Indicator 3

Indicator 4

Indicator 5

RIGOR

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“Defronting” your classroom allows you to use proximity to improve classroom management and build relationships with students.

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Classroom Management Requires Attention To:

Climate: ensuring the classroom feels safe and welcoming.

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Classroom Management Requires Attention To:

Relationships: building trust and mutual respect between teacher and students, and among peers.

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Classroom Management Requires Attention To:

Instructional design: organizing lessons, routines, and structures that make learning clear, engaging, and purposeful.

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Classroom Management Requires Attention To:

Teacher presence and credibility: establishing consistency, predictability, and responsiveness so students know they matter.

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Disruptive behavior occurs throughout the school day.

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Have a response toolkit

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Proximity is a great method for reducing the problematic behavior, and effective teachers know that this is especially true for minor situations like chatting during a lesson.

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There are times when a student needs more specific intervention to redirect their behavior. Move close to the student and whisper quietly, “Remember what we’re doing right now in class. You’ll need to be on page 87.”

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Challenging behavior can emerge when a task is too difficult. Reduce the task demand by breaking it down into smaller chunks. For example, if the student has stalled in their work, find out if they need more instruction, then ask him to do the next task and talk with you again.

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Give the student a competing task to do that makes it difficult for them to continue with the problematic behavior. If they are bouncing around a lot in their chair, it might be the perfect time to ask them to help you distribute supplies to each of the groups.

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Read p. 18 to build your background knowledge.

Next, we’ll watch a video of a 3rd grade teacher using proximity during her class.

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CHOOSE 1 SENTENCE FRAME COMPLETE AFTER READING Module 6�Write down your response. You will be using it in your discussion.

1. “This part of the lesson indicates that the teacher values…”

2. “The students’ responses suggest they were…”

3. “A pattern I observed in the classroom was…”

4. “I think the purpose of that instructional move was to…”

5. “Watching this clip challenged me to think differently about…”

CHOOSE useful LANGUAGE FRAMES to use AFTER VIEWING to shape your discussion.

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South Compass Partners

Lasso your ideas about proximity and using students’ names productively and to build relationships and strengthen classroom management.

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Section 2: Exploring Instruction

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Exploring Instruction

Evidence of student learning is used to inform instruction.

Students interact with peers in meaningful discussions using academic language to complete tasks.

Scaffolds are strategically used to support learning, invite productive struggle, and ensure productive success.

Lessons include input based on student learning needs.

Students practice and apply what they have learned to familiar and new situations.

Indicator 1

Indicator 2

Indicator 3

Indicator 4

Indicator 5

RIGOR

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Well-structured group work helps students feel heard and needed.

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Basic Group Work and Productive Group Work share two characteristics:

Sustained interaction with peers.
Academic language practice and development using the language of the lesson.

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Differences Between Basic and Productive Group Work

Basic Group Work

Productive Group Work

Goal is problem solving
Consolidating understanding using argumentation
Individual accountability

Goal is sharing
Clarifying beliefs, values, or ideas
No accountability or group accountability

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Basic Group Work Examples

TTYPA
Think-Pair-Square
Carousel
Novel Ideas Only
Opinion Stations

Goal is sharing

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Productive Group Work Examples

Literature Circles
Reciprocal Teaching
Jigsaw
Collaborative Poster
5-word summary
Dyad Reading

Goal is problem-solving

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Read p. 44 to build your background knowledge.

Next, we’ll watch a video of a 1^st grade Math teacher promoting peer-to-peer interaction.

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Which is more?

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CHOOSE 1 SENTENCE FRAME COMPLETE AFTER READING Module 6�Write down your response. You will be using it in your discussion.

1. “This part of the lesson indicates that the teacher values…”

2. “The students’ responses suggest they were…”

3. “A pattern I observed in the classroom was…”

4. “I think the purpose of that instructional move was to…”

5. “Watching this clip challenged me to think differently about…”

CHOOSE useful LANGUAGE FRAMES to use AFTER VIEWING to shape your discussion.

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North Compass Partners

Lasso your ideas about proximity and using students’ names productively and to build relationships and strengthen classroom management.

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Section 3: Exploring Goals

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Exploring Goals

1. Learning goals are aligned with grade-level expectations.

2. The level of knowledge expected of the learning goal aligns with the standard.

3. Students can describe or demonstrate what successful learning looks like.

4. Students regularly self-assess their learning and revise their actions based on the results.

5. Students seek feedback, are provided with actionable ideas, and follow through with next steps.

Indicator 1

Indicator 2

Indicator 3

Indicator 4

Indicator 5

RIGOR

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What am I learning today?
Why am I learning this?
How will I know that I’ve learned it?

Clarity Questions

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Design opportunities for students to internalize the LISC.

Clipart image: https://creazilla.com/nodes/30866-coffee-table-clipart

Key points:

First key key part to evaluating progress and teachers need to use various types of Pre-assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding prior to instruction

Without a pre-assessment cannot determine if learning has occurred as measured by the post assessment

Students should be assessed even if the concept has not been previously taught which is often the resistance to pre-assessments when teaching concepts that are skill based or unit driven. Hattie discovered that students may already know up to 40% of what we are teaching if the instruction is targeted at the surface level therefore it is essential that we re assess students before planning instructional interventions

Teachers use the same answer key or scoring guide to score and analyze student performance

�

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Read p. 74 to build your background knowledge.

Next, we’ll watch a video of an Art teacher and 4^th graders at the beginning of a lesson.

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CHOOSE 1 SENTENCE FRAME COMPLETE AFTER READING Module 6�Write down your response. You will be using it in your discussion.

1. “This part of the lesson indicates that the teacher values…”

2. “The students’ responses suggest they were…”

3. “A pattern I observed in the classroom was…”

4. “I think the purpose of that instructional move was to…”

5. “Watching this clip challenged me to think differently about…”

CHOOSE useful LANGUAGE FRAMES to use AFTER VIEWING to shape your discussion.

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East Compass Partners

Lasso your ideas about creating opportunities for students to demonstrate successful learning.

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Where to Next?

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Consistency

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N = Need to Know

What do you need to know about this?

What additional information would help you evaluate things?

E = Excited

What excites you about this idea? What is the upside?

S = Suggestions

What are your suggestions for moving forward?

W = Watchable

What is worth keeping an eye on, so our school is successful?

Overview on p. 4 for reference:

Relationships 1 and 2
Instruction 2
Goals 3

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Consistent Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities

Teachers work in structured teams to improve instruction.

Focus on instruction

Leaders use PLCs to reinforce school expectations for instruction and identify variations in teacher or student performance.

Simple questions

Discussion questions prompt data-driven reflection focused on individual students.

Concrete actions

Teachers commit to concrete actions for individual students, rnot just groups.

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1

3

02:06-02:07

Many schools have professional learning communities (PLCs), but they vary widely in use and effectiveness. They tend to be unstructured and are often focused on administration (like planning for an upcoming test or field trip) rather than on instruction.

Trajectory-changing schools use the time to improve instruction. PLC meetings are the primary catalyst for frequent cycles of improvement centered on a core practice or the school’s area of focus. Teachers come together to analyze student data and work samples, decide how to address individual student needs, and apply strategies in class the next day. At the end of the week, teachers bring new student data and work samples to the PLCs and the cycle begins afresh. It’s one continuous, school-wide loop.

Through these structured conversations, instructional leaders reinforce shared school expectations and identify variations in teacher or student performance. Instructional leaders typically can’t join every PLC meeting, but they prioritize the ones that need more support on data analysis or focused reflection. Instead of using elaborate agendas, instructional leaders ask a few simple questions, focused on individual student learning, to guide the PLC discussion and build consistent habits.

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Peers are under-utilized in the professional learning of schools. Planned visits to each other’s classrooms equip teams with tools to spread innovation and support one another.

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“Whilst frequency of observation by leadership staff does not appear to be associated with progress in student attainment, students attending schools in which classroom observation is undertaken by fellow teachers with greater frequency tend to achieve greater progress in attainment relative to peers” (p. 506)

A Focus on Quality of Teaching in Schools Increases Students’ Progress of Attainment (Bernhard et al., 2024)

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Not a “gotcha.”

Not a surprise.

Not an evaluation of an individual teacher.

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Focus on observable, specific evidence aligned

with school priorities and PLC team instructional goals.

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West Compass Partners

How will you use peer collaboration in this quarter to strengthen Barnett’s efforts?

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Thank you!

www.fisherandfrey.com