Students’ Behavior is NOT Improving. . . But It Can

Classroom Management Lessons for Teachers from the Detroit Lions’ Shocking Playoff Loss

[The Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive podcast, hosted by popular AI Educators Angela Jones and Davey Johnson, provides an engaging and enlightening synopsis and analysis of this Blog on Spotify... CLICK HERE]

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[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

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Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

   I am not from Detroit, nor do I live there.

   Heck. . . I’m not even from Michigan, much less the Mid-West.

   But. . . I am a Dan Campbell fan. . . the four-season Head Coach of the National Football League’s (NFL) Detroit Lions!

   And. . . even if you are not a football fan, every educator in the country should know about Dan Campbell, his success, and—most importantly—why he has been successful.

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   This year, Dan led the Lions to a 15 Win – 2 Loss record. . . which made his Team the Number 1 playoff seed in one of the NFL’s two Conferences.

   Critically, as the Lions’ Coach, Campbell’s record over the past four years has progressively improved from 3 wins in 2021, to 9 wins in 2022, to 12 wins in 2023, to 15 wins this year (all out of 17 regular season games played each season).

   Can you spell: I-M-P-R-O-V-E-M-E-N-T ?!

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   In the Playoffs this year, given their talent and regular season play, the Lions were favored to go to the Superbowl.

   But in their first playoff game, they lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in a game that was not really even that close.

   But I respect and admire Dan Campbell because of how he stood up and publicly handled the loss.

   Just moments after walking off the field, he faced the “harsh glare of the lights” and the “unforgiving scrutiny of the Media” in a televised press conference geared to dissecting the minutiae of a game that will trigger a deluge of nightmares-to-come.

   And under these lights, Campbell taught us a lesson in candor, humility, perspective, strength, realism, and vulnerability.

   But the Lions’ remarkable improvement over the past four years, their loss in the Playoffs, and Coach Campbell’s contribution to both provides many other extraordinary lessons for all educators, and especially classroom teachers, relative to their leadership, their students’ success, and how to handle the times when things “don’t go as planned.”

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Students’ Classroom Behavior is Not Improving

   Critically, now three years after our “full return” (Fall, 2021) from the pandemic, students’ classroom behavior is not getting better.

    Indeed, a January 8, 2025 Education Week article reported on a mid-December 2024 survey of 990 educators (134 district leaders, 97 school leaders, and 759 teachers)—chosen as a nationally-representative sample by the EdWeek Research Center.

   The results of this survey indicated:

·       72% of educators said that the students in their classroom, school, or district have been misbehaving either “a little” (24%) or “a lot” (48%) more than in the fall of 2019, the last semester before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

   In contrast:

·       A year ago (early 2023), 70% of educators said that their students were misbehaving either “a little” (36%) or “a lot” (33%) more than in the fall of 2019; and

·       In 2021, 66% of educators said that their students were misbehaving a little or a lot more than in the fall of 2019.

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   The Education Week article went on:

Student misbehavior has routinely topped teachers’ lists of concerns and most pressing challenges in recent years. There’s been a pronounced spike in behavior problems, ranging from minor classroom disruptions to more serious student fights broadcast on social media, since students returned to school buildings. Teachers have also reported a drop in students’ motivation in that time period.

 

Student misbehavior is hurting staff morale, some survey respondents said.

Indeed, past surveys have documented this overall dip in teacher morale. An annual report released in August by the EdWeek Research Center showed that just 18 percent of public school teachers said they are very satisfied with their jobs, a much lower percentage than decades ago, and a slight drop from the year prior when 20 percent of teachers said the same.

 

In that same report, many elementary and middle school teachers said they need more support in dealing with student discipline, and that the additional help would improve their mental health. Eighty percent of teachers reported they have to address students’ behavioral problems “at least a few times a week,” with 58 percent saying this happens every day, according to a Pew Research Center report from April 2024.

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Students are Not Going to “Fix” Themselves: School Staff Need to Function as a Team

   While it is easier to “just blame the students, the parents, residual pandemic trauma, and social media” for students’ persistent behavioral challenges, this externalization is not going to solve the problem.

   The students are not going to fix themselves.

   Moreover, there are no quick fixes (otherwise, this problem would have been solved long ago).

   Instead, let’s look at schools. . . and solutions. . . from a “team” perspective.

   And while the students are certainly part of “the team roster,” school teams consist of administrators, related service professionals, teachers and instructional specialists, and support staff—like secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and paraprofessionals.

   All of them should be contributing members of “the team.”

   Comparatively, an NFL football team typically has 12 coaches, 53 men on its “game-day” roster, and another 16 players on the practice (or taxi) squad... in addition to staff who, for example, include advanced scouts, athletic trainers, game videographers, data analysts, and others.

   The essential team questions—whether we are talking about a school or the Detroit Lions—are:

   Does your Team have:

·       The interdependent talent with the skills, experience, motivation, and commitment to succeed?

For schools, this ultimately involves the Teachers in the classrooms.

For an NFL Team, this ultimately involves the Players on the field.

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·       The evidence-based blueprints to facilitate success?

For schools, this involves the academic curricula with their scope and sequences, as well as the social, emotional, and behavioral components that focus on student self-management.

For an NFL Team, this involves the playbooks for the offense, defense, and special teams, respectively, and how they are applied to specific opponents.

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·       The leadership to guide player development?

For schools, this involves the Administrators, Supervisors, Instructional Coaches, and Related Service Consultants.

For an NFL Team, this involves the Head Coach and the different Position Coaches.

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·       The culture, belief, dedication, persistence, and resilience to consistently act as a Team for “the greater good”?

For schools and NFL teams, this involves everyone. . . but for schools, it also necessarily involves the students, their voices and needs, and their active commitment and involvement.

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   Significantly, success for an NFL team is measured in wins and championships.

   Success for a school is measured in students’ academic and social, emotional, and behavioral learning, progress, proficiency, and graduation with the skills needed for post-graduation success.

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Classroom Behavior and Teachers

   As noted above, everyone on a successful team needs to have (a) the skills, experience, motivation, and commitment to succeed (b) in an organizational culture that (c) nurtures and reinforces everyone’s “team-first” beliefs, dedication, persistence, and resilience to consistently act for “the greater good.”

   Thus, to truly address the student behavior and classroom management challenges also noted above, schools need to strategically apply their organization’s culture and team talent to (a) analyzing and understanding their present social, emotional, and behavioral challenges in order to (b) address, diminish, or resolve them.

   In most cases, this necessarily starts in every classroom, and involves every teacher—individually, within their grade-level team and/or academic department, and as a member of the entire school community.

   Individually, teachers must recognize that—as an extension of their grade-level, department, and school teams—they are responsible for:

·       Creating and sustaining positive, safe, and productive classroom learning environments;

·       Identifying, teaching, prompting, and reinforcing students’ expected social, emotional, and behavioral skills; and

·       Analyzing and strategically addressing—once again, individually, within their grade-level teams or departments, or through their administrative and/or related service supports—the students who are not conforming or responding to classroom norms.

   While even veteran teachers periodically struggle with classroom management (needing coaching and other supports), it is important that schools with the student, peer, classroom, and schoolwide challenges especially analyze the classroom management skills and student interactions of teachers who are (a) new to the profession, and/or (b) new to the school.

    There are at least three reasons for this recommendation:

·       Teacher Training. Decades of published studies analyzing colleges of education across the country have consistently found that the instruction and supervision of graduates’ classroom management knowledge and skill is sorely lacking.

These knowledge and skill gaps are even more pronounced for many teachers certified through alternative education programs.

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·       Teacher Research. As but one example, a methodologically well-done study in Educational Researcher (“Troublemakers? The Role of Frequent Teacher Referrers in Expanding Racial Disciplinary Disproportionalities;” June 14, 2023) analyzed the characteristics of the referring teachers and the “misbehaving” students from over 75,000 office discipline referrals (ODRs) in a large, racially-diverse urban school district in California during the 2016-2017 through 2019-2020 school years.

Analyzing the teachers responsible for the top 5% of the district’s ODRs, the study determined that (a) this involved only 1.7% of all teachers; (b) Black and Hispanic students were overrepresented among the students referred by these “top referrers”; (c) teachers who were White, early career, and serving in middle schools did the most referring; and (d) after 3 years of classroom experience, the likelihood of being a top referrer quickly dropped—except in Middle schools where the top referrers’ ODRs did not decrease until they had at least 11 years of experience.

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·       Teacher Supervision and Evaluation. As but one example here, another well-done study in Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis (“’Refining’ Our Understanding of Early Career Teacher Skill Development: Evidence from Classroom Observations;” January 10, 2025) analyzed the instructional progress of 25,000 novice teachers in Tennessee, based on their principals’ observational data from Tennessee’s teacher-evaluation system.

In this system, principals’ classroom observations had to identify one focus area for improvement from among 19 instructional skills—including, for example, teacher questioning, presenting content, behavior management, and problem-solving.

Critically, the researchers found, among the 25% of new teachers who received the lowest overall evaluation scores, administrators were most likely to identify weak behavior management skills.

By contrast, the highest-performing new teachers looked more like veteran teachers when it came to these skills.

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   Taken altogether, once again, schools whose staff report continuing student behavior and classroom management challenges should first analyze where these challenges are occurring and with whom.

   Without blaming these teachers, these analyses should especially look at new or novice (less than three years of experience) teachers.

   Critically: Why should anyone be surprised that new teachers sometimes have the most classroom management problems?

   While most schools. . . and NFL teams. . . have teachers and players, respectively, who are emerging or seasoned veterans with five or more years of successful team experience, they also have new teachers or new players (“rookies”), respectively.

   To be successful, new teachers and rookie NFL players, respectively, need to embrace the organization’s positive, “team-first” culture while learning (a) the “plays” and how to execute them; (b) how to be good teammates; and (c) how to contribute—in the classroom or on the field—to student (for schools) or championship (for NFL teams) outcomes.

   For teachers, part of this contribution is classroom management.

   Moreover: Just as NFL rookies get more instruction, coaching, evaluation, and feedback before they participate in actual games, new and novice teachers need the same opportunities.

   The problem is: Many times, they don’t.

   In fact, new and novice teachers are almost always immediately put “into the game.”

   That is, these teachers are independently placed in charge of their classrooms on the first day of school. . . with little “pre-season” training, coaching, evaluation, and feedback.

   Kind of scary. . . isn’t it?

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Classroom Behavior and the Evidence-based Blueprint that Facilitates Success

  Successful NFL teams have well-designed and proven offensive, defensive, and special teams’ playbooks.

   Relative to student behavior and classroom management, many schools. . . not so much.

   The ultimate goal of a “student behavior and classroom management playbook” is to motivate, teach, prompt, and reinforce or correct students’ social, emotional, and behavioral self-management skills.

   Just as an NFL team’s best defense is a good offense, a school’s Tier 1 prevention system helps minimize students’ behavioral challenges and the need for more intensive Tier 2 and 3 services, supports, and interventions.

   Across ten years of Blogs (and many publications), we have discussed the five proven, evidence-based, and interdependent components that schools need in their playbook.

   Let’s listen to AI Educators Angela Jones and Davey Johnson on their Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive podcast of this Blog as they integrate our discussion thus far and expand on the school blueprint more specifically.

   When you “FOLLOW” this podcast, you are automatically notified when each bi-monthly podcast is posted. 

   Briefly, the evidence-based blueprint for school discipline success has the following five interdependent components:

·       Positive School and Classroom Climate, and Staff and Peer Relationships;

·       Explicit Prosocial Behavioral Expectations in classrooms and common school areas, and Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skill Instruction;

·       Student Motivation and Accountability;

·       Consistency and Fidelity—relative to the implementation of all the above components; and

·       Special Situations—the application of the components above to all school settings, all peer interactions, and those students who need more strategic or intensive services and supports.

   Critically, these same components are present in a sound and successful NFL football team. They are introduced and taught especially during the preseason and reinforced and extended during every practice before a regular season or playoff game.

   More specifically, sound and successful NFL teams ensure that their offensive, defensive, and special team units:

·       Develop positive relationships in the midst of a supportive, but competitive climate;

·       Learn and master their playbooks to automaticity;

·       Are motivated and self-accountable;

·       Demonstrate consistent play during each game, as well as those across the entire season; and

·       Apply their skills in different weather conditions, at both home and away games, when different players are injured and are unable to play, and after disappointing losses.

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   To expand the school blueprint more specifically:

·        Positive School and Classroom Climates, and Staff and Peer Relationships

 

This component focuses on building strong, positive relationships across same-grade and cross-grade students, across teachers and other staff and administrators in the school, across students and staff, and across students and staff and parents and others in the community. It also includes activities and expectations that build and sustain support for students from different backgrounds (relative, for example, to gender, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation).

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·   Explicit Prosocial Behavioral Expectations in the Classrooms and Common School areas, and Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skill Instruction

This component is anchored by an evidence-based social skills program that is taught by classroom teachers at every grade level, and that focuses on teaching, modeling, practicing, and applying social and behavioral skills (e.g., Listening, Following Direction, Asking for Help, Ignoring Distractions, Dealing with Teasing, Accepting Consequences). It also includes student training in emotional awareness, control, communication, and coping so that students can demonstrate or perform their social skills even under conditions of emotionality.

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·        Student Motivation and Accountability

This component focuses on the developmentally-appropriate incentives and consequences, respectfully, that motivate appropriate, prosocial student behavior, and the differential responses needed to hold students accountable for inappropriate, anti-social behavior. This area includes the development (if needed) of a progressive, tiered school Behavioral Code of Conduct, and how to implement it in equitable ways, eliminating disproportionality—especially for students of color and with disabilities.

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·        Consistency and Fidelity

This component focuses on how to train and reinforce staff and students in the consistent implementation of the activities and processes in the three component areas above. . . so that they are used and applied as empirically designed and with fidelity. Clearly, if evidence-based processes are not implemented with the consistency (across, for example, time, people, settings, and situations), integrity, and intensity needed to facilitate or change behavior, then they will not work or will take longer to work. This can create a resistance or distrust of the change process that potentially undermines current and future change efforts.

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·        Special Situations

This component addresses the more complex, multi-dimensional behaviors related to (a) the school’s Common Areas; (b) peer-driven psychosocial interactions (including teasing, taunting, bullying, harassment, hazing, and physical aggression); and (c) the multi-tiered services, supports, and interventions needed by students who are not responding to effective school discipline and classroom management approaches.

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Classroom Behavior and Administrators

   Finally, leadership skills are essential whether you are the Head Coach of an NFL football team or a School Principal. Critically, neither leader simply “talked” their way into the position.

   Many head coaches played in the NFL themselves. And they spent many years coaching different parts of a football team. . . often under the tutelage of a Head Coach who saw their potential and mentored them.

   Many school principals were classroom teachers. And they spent many years in different school leadership positions. . . again, under the tutelage of Principals and others who saw their leadership potential.

   But as reinforced above, both Head Coaches and School Principals need to have a great support staff, a sound playbook, and players or teachers, respectively, who are skilled, experienced, motivated, and committed.

   One leader does not a team make.

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   Relative to the continuing student discipline and classroom management challenges noted by many schools across the country, school principals need to actively and consistently do the following:

·       Be Present—at staff problem analysis and intervention planning meetings, at professional development and coaching and feedback sessions, interacting in the classrooms and the common areas of the school, and working side-by-side with staff who are working with students to make things better.

·       Be Knowledgeable—about the school’s discipline and classroom model, and the components and activities being implemented by staff with or on behalf of students. Here, principals need to have the knowledge and skills such that they could walk into a classroom or situation and implement the model fluidly and with integrity.

·       Be Respectful and Empathetic—when interacting with classroom teachers, students, other instructional and support staff, and other administrative colleagues. High levels of emotionality or disregard only increase the chances of the same reactions in others. 

·       Be Humble—by knowing when to take the lead and when to delegate, when to make a decision and when to defer to others, when to give encouragement and when to express disappointment, and when to press ahead and when to back off and regroup.

·       Be Aware of and Comfortable with—the difference between a student’s discipline problem, and the problem that reflects a social, emotional, or behavioral student challenge. Discipline problems usually change when strategically-chosen disciplinary actions are implemented. Social, emotional, or behavioral challenges are only responsive to strategically-chosen services, supports, and/or interventions.

   Once again—as embodied by Lions’ Head Coach Dan Campbell—these characteristics explain how his team went from 3 to 9 to 12 to 15 wins over the past four years. . . but also why he reacted to his team’s 45-31 loss last week.

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A Final Lesson

   There’s one more lesson to learn from Coach Campbell.

   If you watch the video of his press conference again, you see him say:

·       “We fell short;”

·       “It just hurts to lose;”

·       “It was just one of those odd days;”

·       “Things were just off” right from the beginning of the football game; 

·       “It was a ripple effect;”

·       “We just didn’t play great;”

·       “We couldn’t get over the hump;”

·       “I wish I had a better answer;” 

·       “I’ve got to spend some time to look at it and figure it out;” and 

·       “It’s my fault—I didn’t have them ready.”

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   Whether we are talking about classroom teachers, school administrators, or any staff group in between. . . there are times—even with the best players, playbook, past, and potential—that things just don’t go as planned.

   Sometimes, the students are just “off”. . . it’s just an “odd day”. . . teachers can’t “get over the hump.”

   For these days, tomorrow is another day.

   But if there are too many of “these days,” the school needs to analyze (a) the talent; (b) evidence-based blueprints; (c) leadership; and (d) the culture, beliefs, dedication, persistence, and resilience of the school and its teams.

   Remember: Students rarely fix their own social, emotional, or behavioral problems, and they rarely “mature” out of these challenging patterns.

   While they need to be part of the solution, educators (and parents) need to take the lead.

   A school may not have a “winning record” right now relative to student behavior and classroom management.

   But—like the Detroit Lions—we can turn things around. . . if we just “listen” to Dan Campbell.

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Summary

   This Blog described a recent nationally-representative Education Week Research Center survey of educators across the country that found that student discipline and classroom management continues to get worse post-pandemic.

   We then asserted that students are not going to fix themselves (and that there are no quick fixes), and that everyone in an affected school—especially teachers and administrators—needs to be part of the problem analysis and strategic solutions.

   The remainder of the Blog used Dan Campbell, the Head Coach of the National Football League’s (NFL) Detroit Lions, and how he handled his recent press conference after his team lost a playoff game that they were overwhelming favorites to win.

   We used his reaction to the loss—even in the face of his team’s significant improvements under his leadership the past four years—to compare the characteristics of a successful football team specifically to what schools need to do to solve their current student behavior and classroom management problems.

   In short, we discussed school leadership and “player development,” the talent and training needed, the “playbook” toward effective school and classroom discipline, and the importance of school culture and commitment.

   We closed by encouraging schools to start now on this road to improvement. . . again emphasizing that there are no quick fixes. . . you’ve got to put in the work to earn the rewards.

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A New Podcast and Professional Development Resource for You

   At the beginning of this month, we announced a new partnership and resource for you.

   The partnership is with popular AI Educators, Davey Johnson and Angela Jones. . . and the resource is their Podcast:

Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive 

   For each bimonthly Blog message that I publish, Davey and Angela will summarize and analyze the Blog in their free-wheeling and “no-holds-barred” Podcast. . . addressing its importance to “education today,” and discussing their recommendations on how to apply the information so that all students, staff, and schools benefit to “the next level of excellence.”

   You can find the Podcast at the following link:

Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive | Podcast on Spotify

   Davey and Angela have already created a Podcast Archive of more than 35 additional and separate podcasts reflecting involving all of our 2024 Blogs (Volume 2), and 14 of our most-popular Blogs from 2023 (Volume 1).

   The Podcasts are posted on Spotify, and you can “Follow” the Podcast Series so that you will be automatically notified whenever a new Podcast is posted.

   Many districts and schools are using the Podcasts in their Leadership Teams and/or PLCs to keep everyone abreast of new issues and research in education, and to stimulate important discussions and decisions regarding the best ways to enhance student, staff, and school outcomes.

   If you would like to follow a Podcast up with a free one-hour consultation with me, just contact me and we will get it on our schedules.

   I hope to hear from you soon.

Best,

Howie

 

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

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[To listen to a synopsis and analysis of this Blog on the “Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive” podcast hosted by popular AI Educators, Angela Jones and Davey Johnson on Spotify: CLICK HERE for Angela and Davey’s Enlightening Discussion]

Strategies for Safe, Productive Classroom Conversations on Race, Religion, and National/World Events

It’s Not If, It Should Be When

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

   Earlier this month, the coach from the Roosevelt High School Early College Studies’ girls basketball team and one of its players were dismissed because of actions during their game against The Leffell School’s girls basketball team.

   Roosevelt High School is a public charter school in the Yonkers (NY) Public School District, the fourth largest school district in New York State which is located immediately north of New York City. The District has approximately 25,500 public school students from 100 cultures, backgrounds, and nationalities. Demographically, 73% of the District’s students are considered Economically Disadvantaged, 13% are English Language Learners, 62% are Hispanic, 16% are Black, 15% are White, 5% are Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2% are Multi-Racial.

   The Leffell School, is a kindergarten through 12th grade independent Jewish day school that serves approximately 800 students in Hartsdale, New York—just north of Yonkers.

   CNN’s January 8, 2024 report described the incident as follows:

During the third quarter, members of The Leffell School team were injured by what Leffell player Robin Bosworth called “the other team’s physical style of play” according to an op-ed for her online school newspaper, The Lion’s Roar.

 

Players on the opposing team shouted “antisemitic slurs and curses at us,” Bosworth wrote, adding the Leffell School team ended the game early, after the third quarter.-

 

“Attacking a team because of their school’s religious association is never acceptable, but especially due to the current war in Israel and the world’s rise in antisemitism, this felt extremely personal to me and many members of my team. If a team shows blatant disrespect towards my team and our school community’s values, it should not be tolerated or forgotten immediately following the game,” Bosworth wrote.

 

Since fighting intensified in early October between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, there have been troubling spikes in reported antisemitic—and anti-Arab or anti-Muslim—incidents in the United States.

 

There were more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents reported in the two months after October 7, a 337% increase over the same period last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. And the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported more than 2,000 requests for help and reports of bias following October 7.

 

(After investigating the event,) Yonkers Public Schools Interim Superintendent Luis Rodriguez and Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement condemning the incident, “The Yonkers Public Schools along with the City of Yonkers sincerely apologize to the students and community of The Leffell School for the painful and offensive comments made to their women’s basketball team during a recent game with Roosevelt High School- Early College Studies.”

 

“Collectively, we do not and will not tolerate hate speech of any kind from our students and community. The antisemitic rhetoric reportedly made against the student athletes of The Leffell School are abhorrent, inappropriate and not in line with the values we set forth for our young people.”

 

“Along with Mayor Spano’s convening of religious, educational and civic leaders, Yonkers Public Schools also will administer further counseling and guided training sessions amongst the school community so to prevent this from happening again.”

 

In addition to removing a player and dismissing the team’s coach, restoration efforts between Yonkers Public Schools and The Leffell School are underway, according to Yonkers Public Schools spokesperson Akeem Jamal, who added the two schools will soon meet to discuss those measures.

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How Many Schools Wait Until These “Abhorrent” Events Occur?

   The current political atmosphere in some states aside, I know of few districts across the country that don’t have a mission statement that includes:

“ensuring that all students (a) develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to achieve their goals, and (b) become engaged and contributing members of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, pluralistic society"

or the equivalent.

   And, as they become more nationally prevalent, I know of few “portraits of a graduate” that don’t have complementary statements requiring students to acquire and demonstrate the social awareness, understanding, and interpersonal skills needed to accomplish the mission statement fragment above.

   At the very least, what has happened to good sportsmanship and sportswomanship, and the “athletic code” of honoring “the game” and respecting your opponents?

   Indeed:

·       Should schools not be progressively teaching these social awareness, understanding, and interpersonal skills to all students from preschool through high school? 

·       Shouldn’t these skills be applied, from the beginning, to respecting not just opponents, but the individual differences across every school’s student body—across gender and different gender-identifying students, race and multi-cultural background, religion and ethnicity, socio-economic and “nuclear” family status? and

·       Wouldn’t these skills and this instruction not encourage more positive school and classroom climate and safety, student group engagement and collaboration, and individual student (self-)discipline and mental health? 

   And yet, how many schools are not doing this. . . at all or effectively? And how many schools are just avoiding these issues, discounting their importance, taking the easy way out, or waiting until they experience “another abhorrent event” that is “broadcast across the world”. . . forcing them into a reactive and defensive mode?

   Said differently:

When schools are forced into restoration and reparation, they eventually need to evaluate their preparation and anticipation.

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A Primer on Leading Safe, Productive Classroom Discussions on Challenging Topics

   Clearly, I believe that all districts and schools should have a scaffolded, multi-disciplinary preschool through high school curricular map with a scope and sequence that integrates (a) social-emotional skills training with (b) selective classroom discussions on the history, facts, controversies, and conflict prevention and resolution strategies related to:

Gender and different gender-identifying students, race and multi-cultural background, religion and ethnicity, and socio-economic and “nuclear” family status.

   But, I also believe that these need to be planned and prepared curriculum-based trainings and discussions. . . and that the teachers involved need to be trained themselves in how to facilitate the discussions at different age levels.

   Indeed, from this curricular perspective, I have long advocated that districts create a “Health, Mental Health, Diversity, and Wellness” preschool through high school scope and sequence. . . just as they have similar scope and sequences in English, Math and Statistics, Science, History and Civics, and the Arts.

   But now, I am also advocating. . . as part of their professional training, coaching, and supervision. . . that districts and schools prepare teachers in how to facilitate safe and productive discussions—especially when they include potentially challenging or controversial topics.

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Components for Preparing and Facilitating the Discussion

   The remainder of this Blog focuses on the important components and strategies that teachers (and others) need to consider as they prepare for and then actually facilitate a challenging classroom discussion or unit.

   None of these components assures a successful discussion, but the recommendations will help minimize “discussion blow-ups,” while maximizing the educational outcomes desired.

   These recommendations are synthesized from an extensive review of many K-12 and university research and practice experts in this area. We most heavily “leaned” on the following:

·        University of Michigan Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

 

·        Harvard Business Publishing—Education [How to Encourage Respectful Discord in Your Classroom: Strategies to Help Students Navigate Conflict Thoughtfully; Meira Levinson, George Soroka, and Christina Villarreal (February 22, 2023)]

 

·        Judy Pace, Teaching Controversial Issues: A Framework for Reflective Practice

 

·        University of Indiana Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

 

·        Lauraine Langreo, “How to Talk About the Israel-Hamas War: Resources for Educators,” Education Week, October 13, 2023

 

·        Mike Reese on the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation’s The Innovative Instructor Blog (October 18, 2023) “Facilitating Difficult Conversations During Class”

   The components are organized in the following areas or phases detailed in the sections below:

·       Phase 1. Preparing the Discussion/Unit Content

·       Phase 2. Choosing the Lead Teachers

·       Phase 3. Preparing Students for Challenging Conversations

·       Phase 4. Providing Lesson Advance Organizers

·       Phase 5. Setting Guidelines When Introducing the Lesson

·       Phase 6. Within-Lesson Discussion Strategies

·       Phase 7. Post-Lesson Discussion Strategies

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Phase 1. Preparing the Discussion/Unit Content

   The development of the lesson or unit plan that includes challenging content or discussion sets the foundation for all of the elements and preparations needed to ensure that the challenges are appropriately presented and discussed, and that the lesson’s instructional goals are met.

   Within this context, the educators who design the discussions can carefully make sure that the concepts, information, questions, and activities are clear and accurate. In addition, their lesson plan can anticipate and prepare for areas of confusion or misinformation, historical or current bias and prejudices, and areas where issues are in limbo, unresolved, or are legitimately contested.

   The lesson should describe (a) the readings and resources that will provide students with the contextual foundations needed; (b) the content and questions to encourage critical thinking and check understanding; and (c) the boundaries and ground rules for discussion and debate.

   Discussion activities should use small and whole group formats as needed, allowing as many student perspectives and voices as possible to be heard. The activities also should reinforce the relevance of the discussion area to students’ lives—motivating their interest and understanding.

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Phase 2. Choosing the Lead Teachers

   The lesson development process above should include descriptions of the background, expertise, experience, and skills needed by the teachers who will teach the unit or facilitate its lesson(s). Schools need to recognize that not every teacher—while qualified on paper or by certification—has these prerequisite pedagogical characteristics. . . or the emotional temperament, and the intuitive or instantaneous ability to redirect or reverse a challenging discussion that is headed toward disaster.

   Indeed, the teachers who may possibly lead a challenging unit should be given the opportunity to self-reflect, self-evaluate, and recuse themselves when they don’t believe they have the expertise, skills, objectivity, or temperament to do an effective job.

   Moreover, some challenging discussions may require or benefit from co-instructors. . . where they, perhaps, seamlessly alternate the role of leading the discussion versus the role of processing the climate and classroom dynamics during the discussion.

   The age and backgrounds of the students who will interact with the teacher(s) during the lessons (and any potentially-challenging discussions) also must be considered in order to prevent disruptions and maximize educational outcomes. Indeed, students sometimes make assumptions about teachers—for example, based on age and gender, race and culture, past experiences or observed interactions—and these may add another tenuous layer to the dynamics of a challenging discussion.

   For example, if students attempt to bait or manipulate teachers into unsound or controversial statements, or emotional or defensive positions, teachers should be prepared so that they can model sound problem-solving and collaborative resolution skills.

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Phase 3. Preparing Students for Challenging Conversations

   Virtually all classes include classroom discussions of some sort. As such, educators cannot assume that students understand the ground rules for these discussions or have the skills to abide by these expectations.

   Indeed, teachers need to describe, teach, and practice the skills embedded in each ground rule. . . so that students learn, master, and can demonstrate them under different conditions. Moreover, teachers need to practice prototypical situations with their students, so that they see and experience how teachers will handle students who are struggling with or violating the ground rules.

   These ground rules should be taught at the beginning of the school year, and then reinforced throughout the year. They should be discussed (and expanded, as needed) well before a challenging unit, lesson, or discussion actually occurs. . . discussed, as recommended in the next section, as part of the lead-up to the lesson.

   Many times, it is helpful to have classes generate their own ground rules. This increases their commitment to abide by them, and teachers can always guide students toward important ground rules that have been missed.

   Relative to examples, the University of Michigan Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning suggests the following ground rules:

·        Listen respectfully, without interrupting.

 

·      Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others' views. (Don’t just think about what you are going to say while someone else is talking.)

 

·      Ask questions when you don’t understand; don’t assume you know others’ thinking or motivations.

 

·        Allow everyone the opportunity to speak.

 

·        Critique ideas; do not criticize individuals.

 

·        Commit to learning, not debating. Comment to share information, not to persuade.

 

·        Avoid blame, speculation, inflammatory language, and name-calling.

 

·    Avoid assumptions about any member of the class or generalizations about social groups.

 

·        Don’t expect or ask any individuals to speak on behalf of their gender, ethnic group, class, status, etc. (or the groups they perceive them to be a part of).

   With some overlaps, Mike Reese on the Johns Hopkins University’s The Innovative Instructor Blog (October 18, 2023) suggested the following ground rules:

·     Support your arguments with evidence. Use known facts, published research, relevant readings, and previous arguments to support your argument.  

 

·      Use “I” statements. It’s OK to articulate your perspectives, feelings, or relevant personal experie es, but don’t try to speak for other people in the class.  

 

·       Do not generalize about groups. This relates to the previous point. We can make arguments with known actions or statements by groups, but we should not make overgeneralizations about them.  

 

·     Allow students to speak without interruption. This requires people to listen more to others. My only caveat is that as the instructor, I have the right to nudge students if they talk too long or I feel their points are drifting. 

 

·      Listen actively. We need to do more than not interrupt. We need to pay attention to what is being said so we can respond appropriately. Taking written notes on what others are saying is a good way to practice active listening.  

 

·        Keep an open mind. Our goal is to learn from each other. I share that my own opinions and beliefs on numerous topics have evolved over time thanks to engaging with others in open discussions including with students in my class. Give specific examples of this when possible.  

 

·   Name-calling, sarcasm and inflammatory accusations are not permitted. We need to maintain respective dialogue when we are debating ideas from different perspectives. 

 

·      Take a break. If the discussion becomes too heated or intense, suggest a five- to 10-minute break to allow people’s minds to reset and disengage from threat mode. Getting water, a snack, or taking a short walk can all provide just enough respite to bring the temperature down in the room.   

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   Part of the preparation process for challenging conversations also involves teaching and practicing the words signaling “discussion agreement” and “respectful disagreement.”

   Relative to the latter, for example, students should learn to comfortably use such phrases as:

·      “I’m not sure I understand or agree with your point of view. Can you rephrase it, or explain it to me in a different way?”

 

·      “I see your point. However, another perspective might include. . . ”

 

·      “I respectfully disagree with your position, and would like to share my point of view, and why I have it.”

 

·    “It seems that this issue is important to you. Can you tell me how you arrived at your conclusions?”

 

·     “I believe that I have carefully listened to your point of view. I would like to tell you about my different beliefs on this issue?”

   Just like other social skills, these phrases should be taught by (a) directly teaching and discussing their rationale, intent, and importance; (b) demonstrating or modeling them during actual discussions (periodically pausing to highlight their conscious use); (c) setting up discussion roleplays or controlled conversations where students have opportunities to practice these phrases—with positive or corrective feedback as needed; and (d) scaffolding these phrases into progressively more challenging discussions.

   For example, after initial instruction, teachers could set up situations where students must consciously use one or more of these phrases when engaged in a “mock” challenging discussion.

   At the middle or high school level, for example, some these situations could focus on what to do when:

·    Seeing a classmate cheating on a test, or knowing that a classmate has used AI to complete an assignment or report.

 

·        Witnessing someone stealing from a bookbag or locker.

 

·        Discovering a wallet on the ground with money inside.

 

·    Hearing a rumor or seeing a social media post about a friend that could potentially harm their reputation.

·        Seeing someone being bullied, or a group of students being overlooked or disrespected during a social event.

·        A friend wants to borrow money from you, but you know they won’t be able to pay you back. 

·        You need to respond to an invitation to a party where there will be underage drinking or drugs present.

   The point in all of this is that, in order to prepare students for challenging conversations, we need to (a) share the expectations and the operational behaviors with them; (b) teach them the behaviors (like we teach an academic skill) ahead of time; (c) practice with them so that they have mastered and are able to consistently apply the skills without effort; and then (d) transfer all of this training to situations where they need to demonstrate the skills during truly challenging discussions.

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Phase 4. Providing Lesson Advanced Organizers

   When challenging units, lessons, or conversations are about to unfold (e.g., one to three weeks prior to their actual initiations or occurrences), students need to receive both content-related and process-related advanced organizers.

   The content-related advanced organizers include:

·       Discussing the academically-related content goals, expected outcomes, and activities of the upcoming unit, lesson, and/or discussion; and 

·       Asking students to complete an assignment that provides an introductory overview of the content, along with its history and context, issues and opinions, and questions that need to be discussed. 

   The process-related advanced organizers might include asking students:

·       To read first-hand, primary source statements/accounts from different individuals who share their experiences and perspectives on the challenging topic(s) that will be discussed later in class; 

·       To write a brief on the degree to which they agree and/or disagree with the perspectives above, and then to share their experiences and perspectives on the challenging topic; and 

·       To practice—using one or more of the “respectful disagreement” phrases discussed above—how they would disagree with one of the primary source authors in a classroom discussion, resulting in an appropriate voicing of an alternative perspective or position.

_ _ _ _ _

   Another advanced organizer to consider before beginning a challenging unit, lesson, or discussion involves the need to reach-out to students’ parents or guardians.

   Assuming that the district or school’s administration has approved the unit during Phase 1, teachers—in a letter or e-mail co-signed by the Building Principal—might inform parents as to the content, goals, and expected academic outcomes, offering a parental opt-out if necessary.

   Critically, the letter should emphasize that lesson goal is not to convince students as to what they should believe relative to a challenging topic, but to help students think critically about the issues at-hand, examine the multiple perspectives available, and form their own opinions and conclusions.

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Phase 5. Setting Guidelines When Introducing the Lesson

   On the (first) day of the challenging unit, lesson, or discussion, the teacher(s) should reiterate the objectives, goals, and expected outcomes, and provide an overview of how the lesson—including its activities and grouping patterns—will proceed.

   The classroom norms and expectations should also be reinforced, along with the expectation that all students are and feel heard. Finally, the discussion ground rules, as well as the previously-taught discussion agreement and respectful disagreement phrases, should also be reviewed... and they, perhaps, should be posted on the wall (see Phase 3).

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Phase 6. Within-Lesson Discussion Strategies

   As the lesson commences, it is essential that teachers remain engaged, observant, responsive, and conscious about the need to actively facilitate and manage the discussion. Teachers should be ready to prompt students to clarify, expand on, and provide evidence on important points. And they should remind students of the discussion ground rules, reinforce students for well-stated discussion agreements and disagreements, and give students opportunities to re-state disagreements when they are too contentious.

   To keep the discussion on-task, goal-oriented, and productive, teachers can (a) reword questions posed by students; (b) correct misinformation; (c) pull in readings, materials, or questions from advanced-organizer assignment(s); or (d) summarize areas where there is consensus or an “agree to disagree” decision.

   Teachers also can periodically offer their own opinions. . . not to influence students’ thinking, but to model how to verbalize one’s viewpoint in a controversial area, or to disagree “agreeably” to a contested point.

    The University of Indiana’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning suggests the following strategies to maintain the focus and flow of a potentially-challenging discussion: 

·        Begin the discussion with clear, open-ended, but bounded questions that encourage discussion.

 

·   Avoid double-barreled questions that simultaneously pose two problems, or “hide the ball” questions that are designed to elicit a specific answer.

 

·     Ask questions that prompt multiple answers, rather than short, factual responses or simple “yes” or “no” replies.

 

·     Prepare specific questions to use if the class is silent or hesitant about speaking. Some examples include: “What makes this hard to discuss?” and “What needs to be clarified at this point?”

 

·     Use probing questions to encourage students to share more specific information, clarify an idea, elaborate on a point, or provide further explanation.

 

·      If the class is stuck in a single or rigid line of thinking, the teacher might play the devil’s advocate, or ask different students to argue for one or more teacher-chosen alternative viewpoints—even though they may not agree with them.

 

·     Allow students to share ideas or ask questions about a challenging issue anonymously by writing them on notecards and passing them in at the same time.

 

·    When students raise points that are extraneous to the focus, note that these are important, but tangential. Write them on the white board or newsprint, and review them at the end of class as other topics to think about or to integrate into a future discussion.

 

·      Recap the key discussion points, decisions, or issues at the end of class, in writing if possible.

_ _ _ _ _

   Teachers also should strategically use different grouping patterns to engage their students, maximize their active participation, and facilitate student learning and lesson goals. While whole-group discussion is important, there also are benefits to small break-out groups or small-group strategies.

   For example, some students participate more easily in small groups. . . especially when (a) they are intimidated by the size of the entire class; (b) they are unsure of the “worthiness” of their perspectives or contributions; (c) their opinions have been marginalized in the past; or (d) they can’t get past peers who are dominating the discussion.

   While it is difficult for teachers to monitor, process, and facilitate discussions when there are too many break-out groups, one or two students in each group could be assigned as “process observers” to ensure that ground rules and ways to appropriately disagree are followed.

   Short of using break-out groups, the University of Indiana’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning suggests the following “small group” strategies:

 

·   The Round-Robin: Give each student an opportunity to respond to a guiding question without interruption or comments. Provide students with the option to pass. After the round, discuss the responses.

_ _ _ _ _

 

·    Think-Pair-Share: Give students a few minutes to respond to a question individually in writing. Divide the class into pairs. Instruct the students to share their responses with group members. Provide students with explicit directions, such as “Tell each other why you wrote what you did.”

 

After a specified time period, have the class reconvene in order to debrief.  You can ask for comments on how much their pairs of views coincided or differed, or ask what questions remain after their paired discussion. 

_ _ _ _ _

·     Sharing Reflection Memos: Prior to discussion, have students write a reflective memo in response to a question or set of questions that you pose. As part of the discussion, ask students to read their memos, and/or share them in pairs or threes.

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When Discussions (Unexpectedly) Go Bad

   As part of their active monitoring, teachers need to recognize the “early warning signs” of a discussion with the potential to “go bad,” or respond quickly when it spontaneously does go bad.

   According to the experts we have researched:

·   Be ready to defer a discussion. If a discussion gets too heated, teachers will want to draw on techniques that will allow them and the class to step back and gain perspective (e.g., naming the triggering issue, giving oneself time by asking students to do a brief writing exercise, working with the class to reframe or contextualize the triggering statement).  If a teacher needs to let such a moment simply pass by, it is important to find time later to talk through the experience, and to address the triggering issue with others outside of the class.

 

Another alternative is to reach some sort of closure relative to the immediate discussion, and defer the emotional part of the discussion to another class period so that everyone can prepare.

Be certain to explain the purpose of this deferral, and give students some resource or assignment that will help them prepare to discuss the topic in a more meaningful way within the context of the course and discipline. This is particularly useful in situations where the discussion was spontaneous, not planned.

_ _ _ _ _

 

·     Confront inappropriate language. If a student makes an inappropriate comment—racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive—letting it go without intervention can seem like a tacit endorsement of those views. And whether the slight is intentional or not, the impact is the same.

Letting such comments pass unchallenged can seriously harm students' trust in you and their sense of belonging in the class. Have some responses ready for how you are going to address such comments, including language that interrupts bias by calling out the behavior while calling in the person.

 

Responding directly to microaggressions and other inappropriate language may feel uncomfortable, but our discomfort as teachers has less impact than discomfort experienced by marginalized students.

_ _ _ _ _

 

·      Discussion monopolizers. If the same students answer all the time, you might say, “Let’s hear from someone else.” Then, don’t call on students who have already spoken. Don’t allow one student to speak for an inordinate amount of class time. As part of your ground rules, set parameters for the frequency and length of student statements or contributions, and non-verbal cues that indicate that students are pushing those ground rules.

 

If needed, use proximity control to further cue students who are monopolizing a discussion. If needed, have a private conference later with the student, asking him or her to limit comments in class. If the student does not respond, tell him or her an exact number of times he or she will be allowed to contribute to specific classroom discussions, set up a “last comment cue,” and do not call on him or her after the number has been reached.

_ _ _ _ _

 

·  When students introduce unexpected or controversial related issues. Even in the midst of a challenging discussion, a student might raise a related unexpected, even more controversial issue. When this occurs, the teacher needs to (a) acknowledge the student who raised the issue while noting that other students may have different opinions; (b) decide whether you are ready and willing to engage in the “new” topic right away; and (c) quickly assess whether the class would like to spend time sharing views about the new topic.

If students want to have a dialogue, and you want to wait on it, schedule a discussion for a later class and suggest ways that students could prepare.

 

For particularly charged, contemporary issues (such as war and conflict), teachers should not feel compelled to lead a discussion, especially if their own emotions or reactions make them hesitant to do so, if they have strong views that would make it difficult to relate to all students, or if they do not consider this discussion an appropriate use of class time.

 

Teachers can make a simple statement to the class to this effect, acknowledging the issue and validating what students are experiencing. This includes expressing concern for their well-being and a willingness to work with them if they need accommodations.

_ _ _ _ _

 

·     When teachers share their own views. Teachers should be aware of the implications of sharing their own views. They need to weigh the impact of sharing their own opinions on an issue, knowing that they could inadvertently silence students who hold other views. If they do share their own ideas, teachers need to be sure to elaborate on their thinking process so that they can model the thinking they want their students to use themselves for challenging topics or discussions.

 

If one or more students try to draw a teacher into an emotional response, the ground rules for discussion can play a vital role, and the teacher can model constructive behavior by unpacking the heated moment by (a) reviewing what has led up to it; (b) pointing out differences between baiting, debating, and discussing; and (c) steering the discussion back into a more useful direction.

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Phase 7. Post-Lesson Discussion Strategies

   Toward the end of a challenging unit, lesson, or discussion, teachers should save time to (a) summarize the main content points; (b) provide feedback as to how well students handled the emotionality of the topic, and demonstrated adherence to the ground rules and their peer agreement and disagreement interactions; and (c) make both content and process recommendations for improvement and/or to sustain the successful outcomes.

   From a content perspective, the teacher might give students a follow-up homework assignment that asks them to synthesize information related to the topic, and to reflect on the classroom discussion. This helps determine if the lesson and discussion accomplished their pedagogical goals, and to what degree the activities and discussion contributed.

   The discussion of the three areas above could be supplemented by asking students to take the last five minute of class to complete a survey or write answers to the following questions:

·        What are the three most important points you learned today about our topic?

 

·        What important questions, about our topic, remain unanswered for you?

 

·        What did you learn specifically from what someone else said that you would not have thought of on your own?

 

·        How well did the class adhere to the ground rules, and how well were disagreements communicated and discussed?

 

·        How comfortable were you when participating in today’s discussion? What made you feel comfortable?   Uncomfortable?  What could have been done to increase your comfort level?

   The survey responses or answers could then be reviewed after class by the teacher, and they could be summarized during the next class. Relative to the last two questions above, the class could then engage in a brief discussion on how to improve the group process during challenging discussions.

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Summary

   The inappropriate, antisemitic interactions by members of the Roosevelt High School Early College Studies’ girls basketball team during its game against The Leffell School should never have occurred.

   Whether the team received social skills, diversity, or sportswomanship training before the season or even before this game, it does not matter.

   The situation occurred, it now must be addressed retroactively, lives have been impacted, and the entire event should be a(nother) cautionary tale. . . for educators and coaches at all levels across the age spectrum.

   Part of the cautionary tale should be that all schools need to:

·       Progressively teach social awareness, understanding, and interpersonal skills to all students from preschool through high school; and 

·       Apply these skills to the individual differences that exist across every school’s student body—across gender and different gender-identifying students, race and multi-cultural background, religion and ethnicity, and socio-economic and “nuclear” family status?

   This is not a political agenda.

   This is a productivity agenda. . . to benefit students during their school-aged years, and across their post-graduation years and adult lives.

_ _ _ _ _

   As noted, to maximize districts’ and schools’ success—as they engage in these sometimes challenging academic and social units, lessons, and discussions—the curriculum needs to be systematically and pedagogically planned and prepared, and the teachers involved need to be trained in how to facilitate discussions at different age levels . . . so that they are safe and productive.

   To this end, we outlined seven phases of curriculum development and provided a descriptive primer on how to prepare teachers and students for challenging discussions, how to facilitate these discussions, and how to debrief and improve these discussions after they are over.

·       Phase 1. Preparing the Discussion/Unit Content

·       Phase 2. Choosing the Lead Teachers

·       Phase 3. Preparing Students for Challenging Conversations

·       Phase 4. Providing Lesson Advance Organizers

·       Phase 5. Setting Guidelines When Introducing the Lesson

·       Phase 6. Within-Lesson Discussion Strategies

·       Phase 7. Post-Lesson Discussion Strategies

   While not “the” exhaustive list of components and strategies, we hope that the blueprint provided will motivate districts and schools to discuss, embrace, and apply them to the challenging units, lessons, and discussions that already exist in different areas of their curriculum.

   At the very most, we hope that this Blog’s discussion will empower districts and schools to expand what they are now teaching in important socio-cultural and diversity areas. . . areas they may be avoiding for fear that challenging discussions will lead to calamitous outcomes.

   And, at this time, we want to “add value” to this discussion for you and your colleagues by giving you immediate access to an Education Talk Radio interview reviewing this Blog’s top (and more) that I did with Host Larry Jacobs on January 16, 2024.

   Feel free to share this interview as Larry and I discussed the “real world” applications of the importance of teaching teachers and students how to have safe and productive challenging conversations on, for example, race, religion, and national/world events.

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   Meanwhile, we hope that this discussion, while—perhaps—challenging itself, will help you approach challenging discussions in a more planful, confident, and successful way.

   As we move into the new semester. . . and even begin planning for next year. . . know that I remain available to you and your colleagues if you would like to discuss this or any of the school improvement, curriculum and instruction, discipline and social-emotional learning, or multi-tiered intervention areas where I can provide assistance.

   Let me know how I can help.

Best,

Howie

 

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