The Empower Program, K–2: Concrete Strategies for Positive Behavioral Support

Let’s face it—teaching can be stressful. In this generation of Common Core Standards and high-stakes testing,educators are often left without the time to plan positive behavioral supports or the sanity to cultivate compassionate relationships with their students. Even though they understand the critical relationship between behavior and instruction, they’re often left with the same hair-pulling question: How can I empower—rather than overpower—my students, while still keeping a controlled classroom so that I can teach and students can learn? The “Empower Program” delivers user-friendly strategies that are realistic for educators to implement and practical for their students to use. Included are: Classroom Scenarios “When this happens…”Research and Relevancy “Why did that happen…”Concrete Strategies “What can I do?”Ready-to-go Resources “How can I do this tomorrow?” This book is not going to antagonize teachers with theoretical concepts in ideal contexts; it is instead going to respect teachers and their classroom frustrations and provide them with practical steps that make buzzwords like “behavior management”…well…manageable.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Dr. Anne Kendall, Psychologist Acknowledgments Author’s Note Introduction Why Empower? SECTION 1 - ENVIRONMENT Environment Classroom Scenarios – “When this happens…” Environment Research and Relevancy – “Why did that happen?” Environment Concrete Strategies – “What can I do?” SECTION 2 - ABILITY Ability Classroom Scenarios – “When this happens…” Ability Research and Relevancy – “Why did that happen?” Ability Concrete Strategies – “What can I do?” SECTION 3 - MOTIVATION Motivation Classroom Scenarios – “When this happens…” Motivation Research and Relevancy – “Why did that happen?” Motivation Concrete Strategies – “What can I do?” Appendix A: Environment P.O.P Resources Learn Your ABC’s Glossary Correct and Connect Redirection Glossary Executive Questioning Help Sheet Rebuilding Area Making Suggestion Sheet VENT Solution Sheet RENT Solution Sheet REBUILD Solution Sheet RESPOND Solution Sheet Appendix B: Ability P.O.P Resources Common Language Prompts Sheet Master Teacher Lesson Frame Weekly Framework for Instructional Activities Grid Student Social Skills Cards Lesson Plan 1: Tone of Voice Lesson Plan 2: Facial Expression Lesson Plan 3: Body Position Lesson Plan 4: Personal Space Lesson Plan 5: Communication Lesson Plan 6: Keeping Your Cool Lesson Plan 7: Time and Place Lesson Plan 8: Waiting Lesson Plan 9: Asking for Attention Lesson Plan 10: Listening Lesson Plan 11: Handling Frustration Lesson Plan 12: Communicating Frustration Lesson Plan 13: Moving On Lesson Plan 14: Accepting Consequences Lesson Plan 15: Respectfully Disagreeing Lesson Plan 16: Communicating Concerns Lesson Plan 17: Joining a Group Lesson Plan 18: Compromise Lesson Plan 19: Problem Solving Lesson Plan 20: Choosing Who Goes First Lesson Plan 21: Identifying Goals Lesson Plan 22: Breaking Down Big Goals Lesson Plan 23: Strategies to Reach Your Goals Lesson Plan 24: Strategies for Working in Groups Lesson Plan 25: Finding Focus Appendix C: Motivation P.O.P Resources Quick Guide to Student Access Supports SIMPLE Student Tracker SCHEDULE Student Tracker GOAL-REWARD Student Tracker About the Author

About the Author :
Rachel Baker is currently a social worker and outpatient therapist at the Child Guidance Resource Center in Philadelphia, PA, as well as a youth organizer in Camden, NJ. She serves as an education mentor for Montclair State University (in-service P-3 Alternate Route Students and Master of Arts in Teaching students) and as a guest speaker for early childhood classes. She has spent the last decade in schools as a teacher, social worker, and administrator for students K–8 and is committed to promoting social justice and educational equity through social-emotional learning and teacher support. For more information, visit www.empowerprogram.net

Review :
The Empower Program, K–2 is a beneficial, organized social skills curriculum that allows all those that utilize it to infuse essential social skills into the classroom and in other aspects of the school. Because of its multi-sensory approach and scripted lesson plans, it makes it easy for all school staff members to deliver and implement the social skills, while also engaging the students. The depth and dynamic approach to the curriculum make it much more than just a positive behavioral support system. The Empower Program, K–2 social skills curriculum created by Rachel Baker has impressed me in several important ways. It is clearly built on a foundation of respect for students. The practices it teaches are developmentally appropriate. Throughout its processes, the importance of student choice and responsibility for self and others ?is emphasized. As a result of the above, I have advocated its full implementation in both charter schools with which I work. As a member of the Culture Team, it is very easy to rely heavily on consequences when students present challenging behaviors. After working closely with Rachel and being introduced to The Empower Program, K–2, I was able to create and implement various structures and supports for my students. The structures and supports that I was able to implement gives students the tools and space they need to express themselves appropriately and respectfully. This has helped to create a more positive culture and has decreased the need for consequences such as suspensions and detentions. The Empower Program, K–2 works for maintaining discipline while making the students feel empowered. It teaches our learners to have a sense of responsibility for the actions they choose while giving them the tools they need to make better choices. My 2nd grade students love The Empower Program, K–2 because it gets them involved physically and keeps them actively engaged by letting them think, discuss, and practice acceptable responses when situations or other people make them upset. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give students of all ages the tools to self-regulate and increase personal awareness and responsibility to make positive choices. In November 2009, I introduced pieces of The Empower Program, K–2. We reviewed a social skill a week, focusing on the ones my students needed immediately (quiet hands, calm body, quiet tone) then moved on to the others. I also set up a calm corner (a chair with a binder filled with all of the social skills). There are pictures for my nonverbal students, and they choose one of each picture. The teacher that assists the student or tells the student to go to the calm corner also assists in answering the questions. I love how the program has given my students a voice when they forget what they should be doing.