WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | SUMMER 2022 49 The role of the coordinators is to provide coaching and training to teachers upon their request, and to assist them in dealing with behavioral issues or other needs that arise in the classroom. For example, one of the coordinators, Maria Helton, worked regularly with a Middle School teacher to co-teach sessions on empathy, self-awareness, and impulse control. High School choir teacher Nick LaPete also asked for her help in working with his students to increase their selfconfidence and classroom engagement. “We can assist staff in guiding them through behavior assessments, creating intervention plans, and with professional learning sessions on behavioral practices and strategies,” says Helton. Risk Assessment Tools To help determine where students needed more help, the District invested in a Behavioral Intervention Monitoring Assessment System, a 34-question screener that students self-complete. The assessment is offered to all students 12 years of age or older, with an opt-out option for parents, and can also be used with younger students on an as-needed basis with parental consent. The results provide useful data on trends by age group, such as an overall difficulty with selfawareness and self-management. But it also allows for proactive targeted intervention. For example, says Massey, “If a student has indicated frequent thoughts of self-harm, we follow up with the student and family within 24 hours to help connect them with counseling services.” Students, staff, and families can also fill out an electronic referral form online any time they have a concern they would like to address. Whenever a form is submitted, the SEL team meets to triage and discuss the best way to meet the needs that have been identified. (That form, along with resources, coping skills, and strategies for parents, can be found on the District’s website: shaker.org/ SocialandEmotionalSkillsResources. aspx.) Layers of Support Having the right staffing and resources in place meant that each building could then develop effective strategies to meet their students’ needs. The High School implemented a weekly meeting period, called Crew Time, where students could meet with a trusted adult for a check-in on their social and emotional well-being. “Crew is a safety net to ensure that every single student has at least one person to go to, such as a teacher, coach, or guidance counselor,” says High School Principal Eric Juli. “Our goal is to ensure there are layers of support for every student. When you add our security monitors, paraprofessionals, school psychologists, and school nurse into the mix, we have a collaborative and robust support system in place.” Using funding from the Shaker Schools Foundation, the Middle School added two mentoring programs designed to increase students’ self-confidence and social-emotional skills – Gilmore Girls and M.I.T. (Motivate, Inspire, Teach). A weekly Breakfast Club led by teachers Beth Casey and Erika Pfeiffer provides a safe discussion space for LGBTQ+ students and allies. And the three Middle School guidance counselors provide a quiet, caring place for students to land throughout the day when they need a friendly ear. Says Middle School guidance counselor Kristina Longino, “Sometimes students just need a place to decompress. They can play with fidgets, draw, complete a coloring page, talk, or just be quiet.” Keith Langford, the District’s Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, helped create the middle school “M.I.T.: Motivate, Inspire, Teach” mentoring program.
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