Tag: students

Back to School Teacher Must Have

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Dreading a New School Year?

I don’t know about you but going back to school with new students used to get my tummy turning. Dread hung on my shoulders and motivation was nowhere to be found. How was I to keep control of new students, teens I didn’t know and who were different from me? But my experience as the training coordinator for a youth development organization saved me. I learned to maintain control of kids I didn’t know and that it’s all about classroom management relationship-building.

Shows a black and white illustration of a young girl looking stressed
Icon by Soni Sokell

Don’t Make Classroom Management All Business

To keep control of new students when going back to school, classroom management is essential. But setting boundaries and rules upfront at the beginning of the school year, being consistent, having clear expectations and consequences, effective transitions, and intentional classroom layout as well as other strategies are only half — the businessy half — of classroom management.

Get to Know Your Students when Going Back to School

An illustration of teens sitting at their desks in with classroom management
Image from Freepik

The softer strategies of relationship building, the engaging with and understanding of students, is the other half of classroom management that makes the businessy side to maintain control of new students fall into place without much effort. Getting to know your students is one of the highest forms of respect. Everyone desires respect and once gained, young people will rotate to and honor its source — you!

Classroom Management Relationship Building Bundle

For the upcoming school year, I have put together a bundle of, not only my favorite youth development-based classroom management resources to help maintain control but my students’ favorites! With the “What’s Your Style,” “Circle of Community,” and “Strong Suits” resources in the “Classroom Management Relationship-Building Bundle,” students are not the only ones who will engage, understand, and learn about their classmates ( while building communication skills). Teachers will too. While figuring out what makes students tick —why they do what they do — you’ll also empower and engage them, all at the same time.

A picture of the aws Studios.art cover of their Classroom Management Relationship Building Bundle available at the aws Studios.art Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Let me know if you have any questions about the aws Studios Back to School Must Have –

Contact me at: alis@awsstudios.art

This is a picture of Alis Wintle Sefick of aws Studios where she is an artist, a writer and a mental health educator specializing in boosting mental health and social emotional learning. At the Studios, Alis also shares her artwork of recycled fabric and paper collage landscapes and other works of art.
Alis
This is a picture of a young person with their arms raised in celebration on a mountain after climbing to the top. The picture is a metaphor for learning how to fear less when it comes to doing things we want or need to do and the steps it takes to fear less and accomplish our goals.

And don’t forget to check out our new Facebook group – Fearful to Flourishing: Courage Builders’ Community!

How the Social Styles List Can Transform Your Classroom

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Free Resource for Effective Classroom Management

Without a doubt, high school classrooms today are more diverse than ever—culturally, emotionally, and socially. As educators, you likely face students with varying communication preferences, personalities and “social styles”, making it challenging to foster meaningful relationships and manage your classroom effectively. Importantly, one-size-fits-all approaches to classroom management don’t work anymore. When you’re striving to build an inclusive and supportive learning environment, you need better tools.

An illustration of a classroom of students that look different from each other. A group of diverse students are working together on a project, symbolizing collaboration, innovation, creativity, teamwork, and education.

This is where my free Social Styles List comes in. In particular, it’s designed to help you easily identify and understand your students’ communication type. These are “styles” present in most classroom settings. Understanding the styles helps you create better connections. and guide classroom interactions in a way that feels authentic and supportive for each student.

Why Knowing Your Students’ Social Styles Matters

Image shows animal illustrations from Carson and Sands Medicine Cards.
From Medicine Cards by David Carson and Jamie Sams

Understanding social styles can be a game-changer in your approach to classroom management. Students often express themselves in ways that reflect their social and emotional tendencies. By recognizing these tendencies, you can:

  • Create more effective lesson plans tailored to different communication styles
  • Mediate conflicts before they escalate by addressing the root of the issue
  • Build stronger relationships with students by connecting in ways that resonate with them
  • Foster a positive, collaborative classroom culture where students feel seen and understood

Furthermore, how do you know what social style each student leans toward? That’s where my Social Styles List can help!

What You’ll Get with the Free Social Styles List

The Social Styles List provides a simple breakdown of the four main social styles: Analytical, Driver, Amiable, and Expressive. Each style comes with a description of common traits, behaviors, and interaction preferences.

Imaage shows a picture from the aws Studios.art mental health skills building "Circle of Community" resource.

This List is a sneak peek into my comprehensive Circle of Community which is an activity to help you implement these strategies and build stronger student relationships.

How This Resource Solves Common High School Classroom Issues

Current high school teachers are facing challenges like low student engagement, increased social anxiety, and classroom conflict stemming from differing communication styles. In addition, many students are struggling to express themselves. This is further underscored by disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Image shows the opt-in form to sign up to get a free copy of the Social Styles list.

The Social Styles List offers a solution by helping you:

  • Identify students’ communication preferences so you can tailor your approach
  • Understand what drives different social behaviors in the classroom
  • Minimize miscommunication that leads to conflicts or disengagement
  • Cultivate a classroom environment where each student feels valued and understood

Take the First Step Toward Better Classroom Management

Ready to get started? Download the Social Styles List for free and begin using it in your classroom today! It’s a practical tool you can start using right away to improve your relationships with students and help them connect with each other.

Also, if you love this List, you’ll find more resources in my Circle of Community activity. In addition, it is also available as part of my Classroom Management / Relationship Building Bundle. These resources provide deeper insights and actionable strategies to strengthen your classroom community.

Getyour free Social Styles List today!

This resource can help you build stronger connections with your students. This creates a classroom environment that promotes learning, growth, and mutual respect.

Have you used Social Styles in your classroom?

How did it go?

Let us know in the Comments section below.

You Won’t Get Classroom Management Without This

Published on by awsstudiosartLeave a comment

Dreading a New School Year?

I don’t know about you but a new school year with new students used to get my tummy turning. Dread hung on my shoulders and motivation was nowhere to be found. How was I to keep control of new students, teens I didn’t know and who were different from me? But my experience as the training coordinator for a youth development organization saved me. I learned to maintain control of kids I didn’t know and that it’s all about classroom management relationship-building.

Shows a black and white illustration of a young girl looking stressed
Icon by Soni Sokell

Don’t Make Classroom Management All Business

To keep control of new students, classroom management is essential. But setting boundaries and rules upfront at the beginning of the school year, being consistent, having clear expectations and consequences, effective transitions, and intentional classroom layout as well as other strategies are only half — the businessy half — of classroom management.

You’ve Got to Get to Know Your Students

An illustration of teens sitting at their desks in with classroom management
Image from Freepik

The softer strategies of relationship building, the engaging with and understanding of students, is the other half of classroom management that makes the businessy side to maintain control of new students fall into place without much effort. Getting to know your students is one of the highest forms of respect. Everyone desires respect and once gained, young people will rotate to and honor its source — you!

Classroom Management Relationship Building Bundle

For the upcoming school year, I have put together a bundle of, not only my favorite youth development-based classroom management resources to help maintain control but my students’ favorites! With the “What’s Your Style,” “Circle of Community,” and “Strong Suits” resources in the “Classroom Management Relationship-Building Bundle,” students are not the only ones who will engage, understand, and learn about their classmates ( while building communication skills). Teachers will too. While figuring out what makes students tick —why they do what they do — you’ll also empower and engage them, all at the same time.

A picture of the aws Studios.art cover of their Classroom Management Relationship Building Bundle available at the aws Studios.art Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Lift up Your Spirits this Thanksgiving!

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During the Thanksgiving holiday season, there’s talk, of course, about giving thanks and gratitude. But this aws Studios freebie gives you the opportunity to “gift” the people in your life “permission” to do things they want but often feel like they shouldn’t or don’t deserve to do, a mental health, social and emotional best practice. This includes things like taking a break or a vacation, pampering themselves, or getting that item that they’ve been wanting that doesn’t break the bank. The “Power of Permission Slip” is great for parents, teachers or just about anyone to “gift” family, friends, or students this Thanksgiving holiday! And don’t forget about yourself. You might need your own permission too!

Get Your Power of Permission easy to use pdf Slip. start Gifting Permission Right Away!

What about you? What permission do you see friends, family, students or yourself needing? Let me know in the Comments below. And Happy Thanksgiving!

Conquer Student Anxiety

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Transform Student Feelings of Overwhelm to Confidence

Do you find your students feeling overwhelmed? Students want to do a lot. Furthermore, they deal with expectations from their relationships with family, school and friends. It can feel like it’s all too much. And, giving up might be right around the corner. Roles and Goals™, a social emotional goal setting and planning activity, helps students prioritize their roles. This reduces feelings of being overwhelmed.

This image is an abstract depicting young people looking harried because of all the expectations they have and limited time to do it all.

Create Calm with Goal Setting and Planning

In particular, Roles and Goals™ focuses planning based on the preservation and enhancement student relationships. This includes family, school, teams, and friends. In addition, this planning exercise uses a schedule of one week. Importantly, this is a better than daily planning. It gives them an easier view of the context of their relationships and balancing their time.  

Solves a Huge Mental Health Issue

This image is a close up of the previous image of a young girl trying to keep the hands of a clock from moving. She's trying to stop time.

Roles and Goals™ solves the problem of how, often, young people feel overwhelmed with all that they are expected to do. The activity helps students assess their relationships, expectations, and time by prioritizing and organizing tasks for one week. This reduces overwhelming feelings of expectations by breaking down responsibilities little by little, bit by bit.

Student Focused with Real-World Application

Roles and Goals™ enhances learning by giving students a real-world problem to solve — their weekly schedule — and provides examples and prompts to guide them.

Find out more, get your Roles and Goals resource today and help your students create calm!

Final Episode™: Resolving Conflicts Through Communication, an Engaging Learning Experience for High School Students

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Bored, Uninterested Teenagers Become Engaged, Empowered, Knowledgeable, and Skilled

The first thing that sparked my bored, mistrusting high school class during “Final Episode™: Resolving Conflicts Through Communication” was showing them a segment from a popular family drama TV series. Heads popped up and eyes engaged with the screen as if to say, “Cool. Are we going to study this?” Well…yes, in a way…

This image shows the cover of the "Final Episode" resource for high school students.

Resolving Conflicts Through Communication Lesson Without Lecture

This image shows an example of what's included in the Final Episode resource. It is a picture of the "Organizing the Final Episode Worksheet."

In the activity, each student assumes the role of a family drama TV series scriptwriter. To prepare for their scriptwriting, instead of a lecture about resolving conflicts through communication, the students tackle a document-based-questionnaire (DBQ).  In small groups, they safely explore conflict and conflict resolution – what it is, why we get into it, and what we can do about it.

When it got to the scriptwriting, with heads down, students diligently worked away on their conflict resolving scenarios and scripts for their “network’s” series finale.

But That Wasn’t the Best Part…

The best was when they read their scripts to their classmates while being videotaped. Complaining and withdrawing at first, once complete, students reveled in seeing their onscreen performances.

And even better for me were their reflections on their Final Episode™ experience. They told me they liked the activity and learned ways to realistically implement what they learned in their relationships. Score!

This image shows another handout included in the Final Episode resource. It is a picture of the "Final Episode Reflection Worksheet."

A DBQ For Mental Health Skill Building?

This image shows the cover of the "Final Episode" resource that helps students learn how to resolve conflicts through communication.

Final Episode™ uses “documents” including artwork, cartoons, letters, book quotes, magazine articles, and posters. Students found that it was a terrific way to, not only learn about conflict and ways to resolve it, but the items illustrated how there’s a myriad of “documents” out there to learn from.

If I Told My Students They Were Going to Perform, They’d Walk Away

The Final Episode™ activity gradually walks students first through the process of developing a scenario and a script. Performance is the last piece of the experience and can be approached at that time. But, like I found, students might initially resist but eventually come around.

I Don’t Have Time To Do All This

The Final Episode™ resource is perfect for chunking. The work can be spread out over a number of days or weeks. And you won’t have to worry. Students will look forward to getting back to their Final Episode™!

Don’t Take my word for it. See for yourself how this resource won top honors from the NYS education department!

The “Power of Permission” Slip™ – a Mental Health, Social Emotional Learning Resource Every Teacher Should Have

Published on by awsstudiosart1 Comment

Unlock Mental Health and Empowerment

When handing out the “Power of Permission” Slip™ you may notice a collective sigh of relief. Along with a room full of relaxing shoulders. Giving people permission to practice positive, safe, and healthy self-empowering behaviors is powerful. It reminds recipients of their obligation to their mental health and social emotional learning. Instead of the inhibiting mantra “How dare I?,” the “I owe it to myself” self-care refrain empowers.

What is the “Power of Permission” Slip™?

The “Power of Permission” Slip™ is a small, 3” x 8” slip that gives the recipient permission to do something that would improve their mental health. The small and easy-to-give resource generates transformative feelings and change. It’s an easy way to make someone’s day – giving them “permission” to do that thing that keeps them from feeling good.

Give students the power of permission slip for their mental health and social emotional learning

Solves Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning Problems and Enhances Learning

The …Slip solves the problem of people feeling they shouldn’t or can’t do something. But, if done, it would improve their mental health and social emotional learning. The “Power of Permission” Slip™ is a simple prompt, a mild nudge that motivates inaction into action. The resource enhances learning by making the connection of getting or giving permission. This allows the practice of a positive mental health skill. It is also a great behavior management tool.

But what about…

Don’t worry that it’s simple. Be glad that it is and it works! There’s not much to understand. Fill in the recipient’s name on the …Slip or have them fill in their name and either suggest something they need permission for or have them come up with their own. The “Power of Permission” Slip™ can be given over and over again. There is no limit to how many times someone has received a …Slip.

Features include:

  • The simple, all-inclusive permission slip is all done for you, just print out, cut out, hand out, and start making your students’, staff’s, family’s, friend’s, or even YOUR OWN day! Yes, you can give yourself permission! It’s the best kind.
  • The “Power of Permission” Slip™ gives its providers easy access to providing their constituents with joy and builds trust and relationships. What could be better than that?

The “Power of Permission” Slip™ is FREE!

To celebrate the remodel of my Teachers Pay Teachers aws Studios Store, I am giving away The “Power of Permission” Slip™ for free!  Once you receive it, make a lot of slips because once you start your students, staff, family, and friends will beg for more!