Tips & Tools Archives - Sound Discipline

Create an Inclusive Classroom Community by Learning Neurodiversity and Brain Science

March includes both Neurodiversity Celebration Week and Brain Science Awareness Week.

Helping students learn about neurodiversity and brain science helps to create an inclusive classroom community while building empathy and self-awareness. Here are a few ways you and your students can explore brain science and neurodiversity.

Learn About Neurodiversity

According to this Harvard Medical School article, neurodiversity “describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.”

Approximately 15-20% of the population has a …

Ideas for Teaching Self-Advocacy and Contribution in the Classroom

We believe fighting anti-blackness and speaking out against oppression of all forms deeply matters to the health of our communities and classrooms. As educators, we can create opportunities for young people to reflect on injustices, advocate for themselves, and contribute to their community for a more just world.

Meaningful contributions not only help our community, but they also cultivate a sense of belonging and significance for young people. Get started or add to your current practices with a few of these suggestions:

Incorporate Community Care & Advocacy into Your Classroom

Build your students advocacy skills and encourage community by …

Honor Legacies by Teaching Children to Take Action & Make Contributions

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is deeper than his famous quotes and speeches. This year, we are honoring his legacy through action. King believed that all people should be able to belong and contribute meaningfully within their communities, and that anti-blackness and oppression prohibit community care.

In our individualistic world, it’s vital to cultivate opportunities for young people to meaningfully contribute to the world around them. As children build and practice self-advocacy skills, they also can tune into what their community needs and how they can support one another.

Step back and allow your child to identify causes …

Self-regulation and Co-regulation are the Keys to More Peace and Fewer Power Struggles

Imagine you are on your way out the door and your 5-year-old is crying on the floor, your 8-year-old is yelling at them to stop crying, and you’re trying to talk over both of them to get them into the car. If this sounds familiar, keep reading! Almost every parent has experienced some rendition of this scene, power struggles and heightened stress levels included.

Brain science like that explained in this paper from the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy tells us that co-regulation between adults and children is an extremely supportive practice, and it can help reduce …

Self-Regulation for Educators, Co-Regulation for Students

The negative impact that COVID-19 had on our nervous systems, both as educators and students, is palpable. National data such as this report from the National Center for Education Statistics and lived experiences of educators show the pandemic has negatively impacted student behavior and social-emotional development, and teacher burnout and turnover is at an all-time high.

Now more than ever, we must prioritize self-regulation as educators – not only as a modeling tool for students, but also for our own wellbeing. Educators are often selfless individuals who put others’ needs before their own. However, when it comes to staying emotionally …

Showing Up for Trans Kids Creates Equitable and Inclusive Communities for All Kids – Ideas and Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Whether you have a trans child in your own family or want to support trans kids in your community, we must first educate ourselves and work through our own biases.

If you’re parenting or in community with a trans child, your support could be a protective buffer for their mental health and development. If you’ve ever been stumped about how to answer your child’s questions about gender expression, pronouns, transitioning, or how to be an ally to trans and non-binary young people in your community, you are not alone.

Society is rapidly changing, and although progress has …

Support for Trans and Non-binary Students Creates Equitable and Inclusive Learning Communities for All – Four Things Educators Can Do

All young people deserve and require acceptance and support from their communities to learn and thrive. Prioritizing building inclusive classrooms for all students, regardless of their identity, can quite literally save lives.

According to Child Trends, a recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health demonstrates the power of affirming transgender youth’s identities: For each additional context (i.e., at home, school, work, or with friends) in which a transgender youth’s chosen name is used, their risk of suicidal behavior is reduced by more than half. Given that 41% of transgender and non-binary students report they had attempted suicide …

How Family Meetings Can Help Kids Learn to Use Their Voice

Now that the school year is in full swing, we find ourselves settled into the hectic monotony of rushing kids to school, prepping dinner, and getting ready for bed. How do you connect with your kids and give them a voice in the family amidst the daily chaos? Consider trying out family meetings.

Family meetings are a tangible way for kids to practice exercising their voice and sharing their opinions. Young people benefit so much when they have a say in how their environment is structured. When they can use their voice it also fosters feelings of self-worth and builds …

Five Ways to Encourage Student Voice and Share Power in the Classroom

As educators, we may (often unconsciously) hold on to the power in our classrooms. But we do have the choice to share power with our students. Sharing power and prioritizing student voice strengthens students’ sense of belonging and diffuses power-over dynamics between educators and young people. When we let go of some control, we are able to build authentic relationships with students and find more joy in teaching.

When we value student voice, choice, and agency we build a more cohesive school community. We look for ways to provide ample opportunities for our students to share their gifts, talents, and …

Classroom Routines Help Everyone

The start of the school year is a perfect time to co-create routines with your students! Routines help everyone get back into the swing of a structured school day. Investing thought, time, and energy into establishing routines creates a less stressful classroom for educators and students.

Involve students in developing, practicing, and improving classroom routines.

When you involve students in developing, practicing, and improving classroom routines, it helps ensure they feel a sense of belonging and contribution to their class community. Classroom routines and procedures also help increase engagement and minimize opportunities for misbehavior. This article from Head Start explains …