Back-to-School 2023: Serving the Whole Child, Whole Person, and Whole Community
The new school year provides us with an opportunity to support your school community and your efforts to reimagine success for all learners. Welcome back to the classroom and we’re excited to introduce you to the WestEd 360° newsletter for our LinkedIn community!
In this article, we highlight timely back-to-school resources focused on promoting student safety and well-being, delivering high-quality math and literacy instruction, and supporting teachers.
Back-to-School Essentials
Explore our back-to-school web page for innovative, evidence-based approaches to effectively serve all students, teachers, families, and communities.
Popular topics include:
Math & Literacy Instruction to Engage All Students
Top of mind for many educators this year is the need to implement evidence-based recommendations to support literacy and mathematics instruction.
When asked about the push to accelerate learning, WestEd Senior Managing Director of Mathematics and Improvement Science Kirk Walters shares how boosting student engagement starts with a teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject matter as well as providing real-world examples to make learning active and fun.
The ability to read and write is a lifelong skill that is not only a source of joy but also a crucial element in achieving success in school and work life.
In a recent interview, Cynthia Greenleaf , a Senior Research Scientist at WestEd, discusses the state of literacy in the education field with a strong message about the importance of sustaining teachers. Greenleaf is the co-creator of Reading Apprenticeship , WestEd’s flagship literacy program and instructional framework.
Leading a Culture of Care in Schools
As you think about building and implementing systems to serve students and families, we invite you to consider three important domains of creating cultures of care—a sense of safety, a feeling of connectedness, and space to grow.
Learn more about these domains in this recently published guide, Creating a Culture of Care: A Guide for Education Leaders to Develop Systems and Structures That Support Educator Well-Being.
Student Perspectives on?School Safety
Students are key partners for addressing challenges in school safety and contributing to efforts to reimagine what safety means and how to achieve it. Listen to pre-college students in New Orleans, Louisiana , sharing their thoughts on cultivating safety and inclusion.
Watch the full 17-minute video featuring more insights from students and educators produced by the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd .
Prioritizing Teacher Well-Being
Returning to the classroom can sometimes feel overwhelming, making it difficult to navigate through the demands of teaching and leading.
With this in mind, the Virtual Be Well site is thoughtfully designed by the California Center for School Climate and the California Department of Education to provide education professionals with a range of strategies to practice self-regulation and manage stress.
Try experimenting with calming techniques:
Positive Working Conditions for Educators
Research shows that teachers are the number one school-based factor when it comes to student achievement and learning. However, teacher shortages are a major concern for K–12 schools in all types of districts, and compensation is one consistent root cause that continues to create barriers to both recruitment and retention.
The Teacher Compensation Initiative at WestEd looks at the importance of increasing teacher pay with experts weighing in on common myths and creative solutions.
Building Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
WestEd’s Safe and Supportive Learning Environments professional learning helps educators develop the capacity to foster favorable learning conditions in their classrooms and during everyday instruction and throughout school communities.
We’re here to help local, regional, and state leaders guide transformative improvement. https://www.wested.org/service/safe-and-supportive-learning-environments/
Thank you for reading and we look forward to sharing the latest in education research, evaluation, and technical assistance in the monthly WestEd 360° newsletter!
Senior Research Associate at WestEd; author of Student-Centered School Improvement
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