Practical Ideas for Visual Expectations, Assemblies, and Student Safety

Real Talk for Real Teachers with Dr. Becky Bailey and special guest Ali Kurt

Episode Summary

Although Conscious Discipline provides extensive coaching, resources, and support for schools, implementation is flexible and customizable. Practitioners shouldn’t hesitate to find creative solutions to school-wide problems through a Conscious Discipline lens. Once your staff understands the powers and skills and have mastered the basics, make it your own and customize your implementation to meet the needs and interests of your students.

Listen in as Becky Bailey chats with special guest Ali Kurt, a behavior specialist at a Title I K-2 school in Lincoln City, Oregon. Ali is in her fourth year of practicing Conscious Discipline and her third year of school-wide implementation. She shares many creative, practical ideas for promoting safety and solving problems using Conscious Discipline. Learn how Ali has created expectation videos, started a Student Safety Team, implemented school-wide assemblies featuring Shubert Players, and more.

Essential Takeaways

• Visual routines and expectations are critical. Self-regulation starts in the right hemisphere, where visuals are more impactful than words. Visuals help both students and teachers understand and remember what’s expected, helping them feel safe and comfortable.
• Mindset shifts can’t be forced, they must be inspired and evolved. Find creative ways for Conscious Discipline buy-in and commitments to come from the teachers, rather than being mandated.
• Conscious Discipline is adaptive and doesn’t always have to be “by the book.” Look at the problems in your school through the lens of Conscious Discipline and find creative ways to solve them.

Steps For Tomorrow

• Ask teachers to create a list of what they do in the classroom to support students with behavior and social emotional learning. Compile their responses, then ask what’s missing. Add any missing items to the list. Finally, provide a list of Conscious Discipline structures, routines, and rituals. Ask, “Is there anything we don’t need for our kids?” Or, “Is there anything that won’t be helpful for our kids?” This explains the “why” behind CD and promotes ownership and buy-in.
• Post visual expectations in every area of the school: hallways, cafeteria, art room, playground, etc. You may also consider creating expectation videos that can be accessed by all teachers and reviewed after breaks or as needed.
• When major changes happen at your school, prepare students to ensure that predictability and safety remain intact. Create and post visuals, read social stories, and explain to children exactly what the change will look like and what’s expected of them.

Important Links

• ConsciousDiscipline.com
• Conscious Discipline School Family
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Shubert’s School

Product Mentions

• The NEW Conscious Discipline Book- Expanded & Updated
• Creating the School Family
• Managing Emotional Mayhem ©
• Shubert Value Pack

Show Outline

• :21 What is Conscious Discipline?
• :58 Introduction of guest Ali Kurt
• 1:57 Background on Ali’s school and her role
• 3:21 Increasing buy-in from resistant staff members
• 5:12 Expectation videos
• 10:40 Shubert Players
• 11:29 Student Safety Team
• 14:05 Creative uses of Conscious Discipline to solve school-wide problems
• 17:06 Why visuals are so critical
• 17:41 What’s Becky up to?
• 18:50 What’s Becky celebrating?

Thank You for Listening

There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with me and I am grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms.

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On behalf of our Conscious Discipline family, we wish you well.