The Teachers Lounge: A Respectful Ways HELP Guide

Part 2: Tips and Reminders

 

We understand teaching with new course materials can be challenging. Respectful Ways' detailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans, research-based activities, and classroom aids make teaching a breeze. Our courses give you the flexibility to teach when you want and how you want - on your schedule. 

In this visit to the Teachers Lounge:

Tips for teaching Respectful Ways effectively

Fitting Respectful Ways SEL into your class time

Respectful Reminders from your Onboard Training

Clearing Your Computer's Cache: To update course and resolve performance errors

Personal Self Care: The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise

 

 

---

Teaching Tips: Using Respectful Ways Effectively

 

Introducing the module to the class

• When beginning class, take advantage of the music playing during the Begin Class slide. Use the music and the Respectful Signs on the wall as introductions and ice breakers -or- share some trivia from (i.e. 60 Weird Facts Most People Don’t Know) to get your students excited and engaged for their Respectful Ways lesson!
• 3rd through 12th grade courses begin with an introductory “Quotes and Signage” slide with three relevant quotes to help spur additional classroom discussions. By hovering over the 3 yellow dots, different quotes appear. Discuss one quote as an introduction or review all the quotes before the lesson. PreK-2nd grade courses have an Introduction slide that gives examples of what the students are about to learn.

 

Course Activity Experience

• Each course has five research-based activities which come with step-by-step lesson plans available in your Course Materials & Resources webpage (example). For Tier 1, present these activities in order, starting with the first activity, Let’s Chat. These conversations help engage students and get them talking.  

 

 

• The second activity, Time to Rhyme for PreK-5 and Word! for 6-12, is also in every module, and hits dozens of standards. Review the poetry beforehand, and think about what lines, themes, or insights will connect with your class. Read the poem together as a class. Repeating helps retain the message. Get creative! Students can rap or sing the rhyme while drumming or clapping to the beat. 

• Activities are designed to fit into any class time slot. Whether you take 10 minutes every morning to start the day in a positive way, or spread the activities over the course of a few weeks, you have the freedom to use Respectful Ways as you need! You can "Resume where you left off" when you revisit the course.
• Each activity has different kinds of interactive screens and prompts. Keep your eye out for in-slide buttons and icons which reveal more information and instructions. 
• Each activity ends with a “Respectful Wrap” slide -- a wrap-up that summarizes the key takeaways. It reinforces the lesson, and helps connect the concepts in practical ways to students' lives. 
• After each activity, we proceed to the Promise Pledge. Stand up and recite the Promise Pledge aloud as a group at the end of every activity with a tap of your hand to your heart. Play the music, get the kids dancing and keep the energy level upbeat: this positive energy unites your students and ensures a successful session. 
• The final student-facing slide is "You've completed today's activity!" 
• After completing all 5 activities, there is one additional simple step for you, the instructor: The Educator Wrap Up Survey. Here is a short, on-a-scale-from-1-to-5 questionnaire where we ask for comments and suggestions so that we can continue to update our modules to meet your needs. Share visuals from the activities on your school’s social media pages. This is how to make SEL systemic: from class, to school, to community, as explained by CASEL.
• Participate in StudentsXpress Magazine! Give your kiddos agency in their learning by submitting their artwork and stories.

 

 

---

Fitting RW Modules into your SEL class time

 

Regardless of how often you hold SEL classes, Respectful Ways is designed to work under different time formats. For example, if you meet with your students...

 

Once a Month:

• • You may be with your students for a class period. This is a perfect amount of time to work with your students and dive into each Respectful Ways activity. If time permits, we recommend doing Activities 1 & 2 - “Let’s Chat” and “Time to Rhyme” - in the same session to break the ice and get kids thinking and talking.

 

Twice a Month:

• • If time permits, do Activities 1 & 2 in the same class session.
  • Then, complete one activity each for the next 3 visits. Activities 3-5 take a deeper dive into the module's core subject. As these activities are research-based and project-based, your students will be making many discoveries.

• • At this pace, you will be on track to move to the next module within a month or so. When your class is ready for the next module, don’t forget to put up the new Respectful Signage on your classroom wall! This will get the kids excited about their next Respectful Ways experience. 

 

Once a Week:

• • Naturally, your allotted SEL time will dictate the pace you proceed with a module.

• • Following the guidelines above, a weekly class should give you the flexibility to either offer Activities 1 and 2, or a core deep dive into Activities 3 through 5.

• • Depending on the length of time you have with your students, you should be able to go through the whole module within 4 to 5 weeks. 

 

Two or Three Classes a Week

• • If time permits, keep respectfulways.com up on your computer and visit Respectful Ways several times throughout the day! Otherwise, present the activities one by one. Our interactive menu page will keep track of which activities you have completed and which ones are left to work on.

 

Daily

• • If schedule permits, spread SEL throughout the day. For example, you can take 10 minutes in the morning to have students answer the Let's Chat questions in small groups and write in their RW notebooks.
  • Then after lunch revisit respectfulways.com and type students' answers into the three interactive boards.
  • Before everyone leaves for the day, review the ever-so-important Respectful Wrap slide. You can spend a quick 30 seconds on the Respectful Wrap page, or 10-minutes deeply engaged with your students about the meaning of the lesson. 
  • Respectful Ways modules will remind you of the last activity worked on by your class. Click Yes on the pop-up question to resume working where you left off. Clicking No brings you to the top of the course. Don't forget, you can always use the upper left "Menu" to navigate too.

 

 

 

---

Respectful Reminders from your Onboard Training

 

Sign and submit your Respectful Ways Welcome Packet receipt

By now you've been sent a URL to our Welcome Overview Packet and Terms of Use Form. If you haven't done so already, please verify receipt of your Packet by filling out this online form.

 

Parent and caregiver letters to send home for family engagement 

Effective and meaningful Character Education involves all stakeholders. Introduce families to the new life skills your students are learning: Share these Home Connects introduction letters, in English and Spanish.  

 

 

Refresh your Respectful Ways training anytime

Here's a 26-minute training video that highlights key takeaways, such as the Course Materials, your step-by-step Lesson Plans, student-driven modules for remote learning, and much more. 

Need a shorter option? This Demo here offers reminders you can read and click through quickly.

 

Students using Remote Courses do NOT log into Respectful Ways

All courses are available in a "remote student" version, to allow children to work remotely if needed. These special courses do NOT require the student to log in anywhere--they are accessed by a simple web link/URL that the educator sends to the student. The remote-course URL and sharing instructions are found in each module's Course Materials & Resources webpage.

 

---

Don't Forget to Take Care of Yourself!

Teaching takes a lot of energy. To reach our students effectively, we have to stay centered ourselves. Here’s a 3 minute breathing video from Reflective Mind that will help you reduce stress, feel calm, and sleep better. Enjoy!

 

 

---

Let's Stay In Touch

Have a Question? Need Help? We're here to be of service!
Email Staff@RespectfulWays.com or call 404.955.8882 anytime you need guidance.

 

---

 

More from the Teachers' Lounge:

Part 1: Getting Started with Respectful Ways
Part 2: Tips and Reminders