Breaking Down the Need for Control with Rebecca Muller Transformative Principal 393

• My days were spent filling out charts.
• An engaged learner is someone who is doing.
• I’d rather have a noisy classroom with kids laughing and having a good time AND learning.

Rebecca Muller is a special education teacher in New Jersey, host of Exceptional Circumstances for Exceptional Learners on Learning Revolution. 12 years as a teacher, Masters in Education and Educational Leadership from University of Pennsylvania.

• Breaking down the need for control in classrooms- the who, what, when, where, and why.
• Kids aren’t successful, we test them to prove it, then put them in a box because it is easier for us.
• People have a view of what school should look like.
• An engaged learner is someone who is doing.
• I’d rather have a noisy classroom with kids laughing and having a good time AND learning.
• Do we want them to behave or want them to learn?
• How much control should we have on how they’re interacting with one another.
• We’ve spent so much time on safety that we’ve forgotten that learning is our priority in education
• You can’t learn if you’re not well.
• Behavior is a signal that there is something else.
• We can’t focus on just the learning when there are so many other issues.
• My days were spent filling out charts.
• The kids figure it out and it’s a game.
• Kids need to see their levels and progress.
• There aren’t kids who want to be bad.
• Where they are and where they want to be.
• Kids should not have to earn a treat every time they do something well.
• We get stuck there, because we know them and they have worked.
• Special education has taught me to be flexible.
• Motivation, intrinsic vs. extrinsic.
• Don’t take things personally.
• Trauma-informed practices.
• Justification for procrastination of doing the hard work of pushing through the challenges that we are facing.
• Specific learning disability is the least specific label in special education world.
• What is school for?
• Teachers are considered “infrastructure necessary“
• I have an addiction to learning.
• How to be a transformative principal? Don’t ever write off any student or educator. If they are in the build they have potential? Always look for everybody’s individual strength.
• Acting without boundaries.

Innovative school leaders across the country have started tracking online student participation using TeachFX because it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve student outcomes during COVID — especially for English Learners and students of color. Learn more about TeachFX and get a special offer at TeachFX.com

Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms.

John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.

Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles:

• Michaela: The Power of Culture by Katharine Birbalsingh
• Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli
• Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley
• The Teaching Delusion: Why Teaching In Our Schools Isn’t Good Enough (And How We Can Make It Better) by Bruce Robertson
• Stop Talking About Wellbeing: A pragmatic approach to teacher workload by Kat Howard

John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.