How We Teach This

Dr. Bret Church, assistant professor at Emporia State University and co-researcher of the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative, shares the results from a survey of 50% of the educators in Kansas. 

They were questioned on three key areas: satisfaction, engagement in the profession, and future intentions. 

Districts can analyze their own data and overall stakeholders can learn from these results and build an action plan to improve the situation in Kansas regarding the teacher shortage.

Part 2 of the interview between student, Hailey Kisner, and Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, delves even deeper into the importance of creating connections with students. He shares about how having solid, positive relationships is powerful for teachers. Creating quality relationships is critical to having a successful outcome, especially for students exposed to trauma. He offers specific examples of how teachers can integrate building a relationship into their daily classroom experience.

Travis True, Curriculum & Technology Coordinator for Topeka Public Schools and Google Educator Certified Trainer, gives an overview of recent changes in technology in education and advice for teachers who want to become more efficient at using technology without spending a lot of time trying to learn new software or hardware.

Dr. Lori Desautels, author and education expert, explains how early trauma impacts a student's ability to regulate and learn. She has written several books about her experience working with students with challenging behaviors. She shares how addiction is a form of a learning disorder as a reaction to pain. Teachers and parents can look at the acronym "A SECRET" to identify the causes of behaviors to improve a student's success in the classroom.

Dr. Desautels gives more examples of how a philosophy of trauma-informed education changes the classroom environment and culture.  She explains that this mindset is more than a program you can buy and implement for 30 minutes a day.

Listen to part 1 by searching How We Teach This for Season 3, Episode 4, How the Brain Impacts Emotion & Learning Part 1.

Jordan Billings, Instructor for Olathe Public Schools, shares strategies and steps on how to get started for educators who are interested in adding elements of gamification into their classrooms. Gamification can improve engagement and add some fun back into the classroom.

Michael McKnight, author and special education expert, describes how education has moved from a time without brain science to current times with more understanding of how trauma affects students that are often labeled difficult. McKnight shares how humans are resilient and the importance of teaching everyone how trauma impacts the brain, then affects behavior and learning. He believes that starting with a teacher who is calm and regulated must happen in order for an educator to respond instead of reacting to negative situations.

Whittne Ballinger, as a third-year teacher, has already experienced a lot of variety in her teaching career. She currently teaches 2nd-grade students to understand their own brains plus how to improve regulation and be better prepared for learning. She creates a welcoming classroom with Amigdala reset stations and Polyvagal charts. She says that if 2nd-grade students can understand these concepts then any grade level can benefit from educators who teach with a mindset of how the brain impacts teaching and learning.

Dr. Dustin Springer, Principal of Gray Hawk Elementary in USD 458 Basehor-Linwood in Kansas, shares his background and how he came to realize the need for understanding neuroscience in education. He gives insight by sharing his journey as a teacher then principal of how he worked to changed the environment in his elementary school so that students would have a nurturing school experience with relationships and support. Principals and teachers interested in having a more trauma-informed understanding for their students will appreciate his advice.

Watch for Part 2, coming soon, to hear specific strategies Dr. Dustin Springer utilizes as a principal and encourages his teachers to implement.

If you want to hear more from Dr. Springer about the importance of relationships in schools, listen to our episode from Season 2: SEL Series, The Importance of Relationships in Education

Dr. Lori Desautels, author and education expert, explains how early trauma impacts a students' ability to regulate and learn. She has written several books from her experience working with students with challenging behaviors. She shares how addiction is a form of a learning disorder as a reaction to pain. Teachers and parents can look at the acronym "A SECRET" to identify the causes of behaviors to improve a students' success in the classroom.

Watch for Part 2, coming soon, to hear specific strategies that Dr. Desautels uses in her classroom.

Jordan Billings, Instructor for Olathe Public Schools, shares strategies and steps on how to get started for educators who are interested in adding elements of gamification into their classrooms. Gamification can improve engagement and add some fun back into the classroom. It might be just what you need to inspire you after a few rough years dealing with the ups and downs during the pandemic.