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On a late February afternoon, Angela Crawford, an English teacher, stood in front of about three dozen Philadelphia educators—mostly young, black women—as they all swapped stories of small victories and challenges in their classrooms. Dressed in a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt and slim black slacks, Crawford, at one point, reflected on what has helped her remain resilient while working in some of the nation’s least resourced and most segregated classrooms for 23 years. “Black women are...

There is a Chinese proverb that states, “If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people." The benefits are evident, yet the real question becomes, “how do you grow people?” This Big Idea Session, CRI’s Trauma Coaching and Trauma Consultation Training, answers this question. Schools, organizations, and parents are discovering that the traditional “command and control” style of working with...

When it comes to cultivating racial understanding, sociologist Robin DiAngelo believes that white people have work to do. In her best-selling book White Fragility (Beacon Press, 2018) , DiAngelo argues that no white person—no matter how well-meaning—is exempt from the forces of racism. Yet when the topic of racism comes up, they often become defensive and "weaponize" their hurt feelings. This refusal to acknowledge the reality of systemic racism blocks white educators from understanding the...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond Schools teacher Rodney Robinson has been named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made live on "CBS This Morning" Wednesday morning. Robinson, who teaches history at Virgie Binford Education Center inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, beat out three other finalists to win the prestigious honor. Robinson teaches some of the "most vulnerable kids in society" at Virgie Binford. "They have succumbed to the pressure of urban living and...

Armon Hurst, 2nd from left, first row, Teens on Target, courtesy of YouthAlive! Eighteen-year-old Armon Hurst serves as vice president of the student body at Castlemont High School in Oakland, Calif. He has a 4.0 grade point average, is an avid baseball player, and is slated to go to college next year. But until a few years ago, Hurst would find himself waking from nightmares in the middle of the night. It was difficult to concentrate at school, and he wasn’t eating well. Armon Hurst “There...

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As a mother, Ronda Howard knows how important it is for kids to have something to do after school. "I was really volunteering in the schools and I saw and noticed that children were very angry and I wanted to come up with a program to help children have fun and release that anger," Howard said. So she created the Bounce For Joy Project with Dr. Dakeda Horton, a former social worker at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. The project is focused on teaching kids how to...

The Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, on the west side of Indianapolis, has gotten a fair amount of attention for personalizing the professional development it gives to teachers in its virtual high school and blended learning programs. The fact that voluntary professional development can attract 90 percent of teachers is seen as a wild success. It’s that success the district, and by extension, Michele Eaton, its director of virtual and blended learning, has been known for.

"On Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled “low-performing and persistently dangerous.” Her fearless determination to lead — and to love the students, no matter what — is a model for leaders in all fields." To see Linda...

"People who feel called to their careers, according to these researchers, have a passion for the work, a sense of obligation or moral duty to do it, and the need to make a positive social difference. This attitude makes for incredibly valuable employees—but their passion for their work also means that they are easy to take advantage of. " "Between 40-50% of new teachers will leave the teaching profession by their fifth year of service. Teachers who leave the profession cite many different...

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments April 24, 2019 11:00 AM 12:30 PM PDT The majority of children and youth in the United States will be exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event before they graduate from high school.1 Exposure to violent trauma in childhood, such as abuse, assault, or family or community violence, is particularly common. Approximately 2 out of 3 children and youth ages 17 and younger were exposed to some form of violent victimization at home...

RESILIENCY TEAM TRAINING Cape May & Atlantic County School Districts- Southern NJ Applied Educational Neuroscience, the Brain and Adversity- “Stressed Brains Do Not Learn” Purpose: To provide training for school level teams on the latest research and strategies concerning Educational Neuroscience, the Brain, Stress and Adversity. To create school level “turnkey” teams focusing on the skills and organizational components necessary to create trauma sensitive AND trauma responsive...

Among mental health practitioners, researchers, educators, and even the media, mindfulness practices are gaining popularity as a method to help children and youth cope with stress. A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness interventions in schools can boost children’s ability to regulate emotions and manage their feelings of stress. One evaluation examined a 12-week mindfulness intervention across several elementary schools. Researchers found that students who participated in the...