Staff Development: Improve School Climate & Safety

Workshops

Half-day to whole-day sessions help staff develop a standardized, school-wide vocabulary about bullying and other forms of mistreatment, to improve observation skills in order to notice covert student mistreatment, and to gain tools for effective intervention in disciplinary incidents. Learn valuable strategies for strengthening relationships with students to promote trust, break the “code of silence” among students, and improve school climate and safety. For one school, or multiple schools up to 100 participants per session. For a more complete description, click here.

Positive Climate Staff Development Modules Training-of-Trainers

Community Matters has developed an integrated set of short staff development experiences – Modules – that allow staff members to fully utilize their potential to create a positive social-emotional climate for themselves and students. Each Module is a 1-2 hour “lesson” that can be provided to the entire staff, or sub-groups (e.g. departments of a larger high school) over the course of 1-2 years, as part of a coherent school climate improvement plan. Modules are continually being developed, and currently include:

Understanding the Scope and Costs of Student Mistreatment
Creating and Maintaining a Positive Staff Culture
Tapping the Power of Student-Adult Relationships
Building Relationships with Students
Challenging Stereotypes, Biases, and Prejudices
Persuasion Power
Keys to Successful School Discipline Systems
Receiving Reports: Handling Student Disclosures Effectively
Starting and Sustaining Student Involvement in Bullying Prevention
Cyberbullying: Keys to Effective Prevention
Bullying Policies and Procedures

Modules are delivered by a team of 3-4 staff members – the influential “opinion leaders” at a school site, possibly with support of key district personnel. These staff members first participate in a Training of Trainers (TOT) that equips them with the knowledge and resources to conduct the Modules for their colleagues.

Time: Two full school days, 6 - 8 hours each.
Participants: 3 - 4 influential staff members from each school. We recommend a mix of teachers and administrators, plus District staff who can oversee and support this initiative. PSC TOT participants will:

Learn about the extent and cost of mistreatment, as well as efforts to address it
Discuss strategies for creating and maintaining a positive staff culture
Learn how to tap into the power of student relationships and youth leadership
Gain knowledge and skills for communicating and intervening effectively
Address particular forms of mistreatment and contemporary issues that affect them
Practice skills and receive coaching and feedback.

Format: interactive discussions in large and small groups, and skills practice via role plays. For a more complete description, click here.