Conklin Educational Perspectives

I’m excited to share my latest article with Edutopia! In it, I explore how teachers can adapt their current classroom practices to incorporate more proactive, restorative approaches. I reference briefs and papers from EdResearch for Action to support my claims and pull from the expertise and research out of the International Institute of Restorative Practices. It’s all about enhancing our teaching methods without overhauling what already works. I hope this piece inspires fellow educators to create more supportive and inclusive learning environments.

Now that I'm back in the classroom full-time, keeping up with my writing from my substitute teaching days has been challenging. However, I'm committed to continuing to publish my work, as it has transformed my middle school writers' workshop sessions with my students.

One day, I casually brought up the articles I write with my seventh graders after missing a deadline and experiencing some writer's block. Curious, they asked to see one of my pieces, which sparked a fascinating discussion about my writing process compared to theirs. We then explored the various opportunities for students to publish their work for different audiences. This conversation truly energized my young writers, making our work feel more relevant, exciting, and important. I encourage all teachers to share any published work with their students - happy writing!

Using Restorative Practices Proactively A core principle of restorative practices is that they are most effective when used before any conflict has occurred.

Check out my latest article for Edutopia about Socratic Seminars, and how teachers can use them in their classroom to empower middle school voices!

In my article, I include recent research from (with The Annenberg Foundation Institute at Brown University and Results for America about why this practice is effective for both academic and social emotional student growth.

https://lnkd.in/gsbVfcBk

How Socratic Seminars Can Empower Middle School Students Opportunities for student-led discussions help students hone their listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

I’m thrilled to be back in the classroom after years of instructional coaching and supporting teachers! My teaching partner and I have developed some effective resources that can truly impact both students and educators.

We’re passionate about creating interdisciplinary, student-centered reflections that provide meaningful and consistent data for professional learning communities (PLCs). Our math reflections align with the Illustrative Math curriculum, and they help students set recursive goals while becoming metacognitive about their skills.

A key feature of these reflections is the opportunity for students to give feedback on not only math content but also lesson design, teacher approachability, and teaching style. We believe our students offer the most valuable insights, and we’re excited to collect their feedback regularly. The reflections also provide excellent data to include in teacher evaluation processes, as well as professional growth plans.

Together, we aim to foster a student-centered learning environment, and we hope these tools will help us achieve that. Find these resources here: https://linktr.ee/conklineducationalperspectives

I’m back in the classroom full-time and this summer, I’ve been writing articles for Edutopia, including my latest piece on how teachers and administrators can support students in Algebra One—a subject often perceived as daunting.

To lighten the mood, I reference Lisa Simpson from the iconic “Girls Just Wanna Have Sums” episode of The Simpsons, highlighting how popular culture can influence perceptions and contribute to math fears.

Algebra 1 is a crucial gatekeeper for students aiming for higher education, and research shows that those who take it in middle school are more likely to enroll in four-year colleges. The question remains: how can we ensure that all students, especially those needing extra support, succeed in this important course?

Feel free to check out my article - it includes research based strategies from EdResearch for Action’s practical and evidence-based research briefs as well as real-time examples from my classroom and team!

https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-based-algebra-supports-for-students/ Research-Based Supports for Algebra Students | Edutopia

Research-Based Supports for Algebra Students Offering effective instructional supports to secondary students in algebra helps build learners’ confidence and math identity.

It’s almost May! I am teaching full time at the Olympia Regional Learning Academy this year. ORLA is a K-12 public alternative school that houses multiple, innovative programs under one roof. This year, I am teaching in their 6th-8th grade Middle School Academy and Homeschool Connect programs.

In addition to teaching my core academic classes, I have had the incredible opportunity to begin designing a 3rd - 12th grade garden program. I adopted a simple yet powerful garden class design structure from Paul Rocks, the science and garden teacher at Lincoln Options Elementary:
snack, lesson, work.

Each session begins with a small snack featuring a garden fruit, vegetable, or herb. We’ve tasted everything from crunchy carrot slices to spicy radish wedges, and I believe this feature is essential. Learning through taste allows students to connect with the natural world around them in a way that resonates deeply. And eating together builds community!

After enjoying our snack, we dive into engaging discussions, often sparked by a short video, exploring whether what we’ve tasted can be grown right here in our school garden. We talk about whether or not we would want to grow it and how we could.

Sometimes, this conversation serves as our lesson. However, I’ve also utilized fantastic resources like the John Muir Laws nature journaling series and PBS Crash Course Botany with Alexis Nikole Nelson to delve deeper into the basics of plants and gardening.

The final component, “work time,” is where the magic happens! Whether we’re planting, watering, weeding, or sorting through our stash of seeds, the hands-on, interdisciplinary experience in the garden has been incredibly rewarding. Watching my students connect with nature, process complex science concepts, and gasp in wonder at a germinating seed, has been more meaningful than I ever imagined. Engaging in gardening activities promotes mindfulness, reduces anxiety, and combats depression, offering a therapeutic outlet that can significantly enhance mental well-being while learning a valuable life skill. Happy gardening!
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New teachers deserve strong support, and the latest brief from the Annenberg Institute and Results for America offers clear, research-backed strategies your school district can follow!

As an Annenberg and Transcend EdResearch advisory board member, I had the opportunity to contribute insights from my experiences as a classroom teacher, mentor and instructional coach to ensure this resource speaks to the real challenges schools and districts face in designing effective induction programs.

This brief distills key findings on what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to retaining and developing early-career teachers. It’s a must-read for school, district, and state leaders working to strengthen teacher support systems.
Check it out here 👉 bit.ly/teacher-induction

How does your school district support early career teachers?

Dinali Perera Dhammapala and I are truly honored to present at this year’s Learning Forward Conference, where over 2,000 passionate educators and leaders have gathered to improve and innovate around teaching and learning.

This opportunity to connect, share our multi-tiered system of support for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, and learn from one another is invaluable.

6th Grade Science Update: Orlando Bloom (our dying classroom Monstera) has FOUR points of new growth and we are freaking out. 🤯👏🌱

Dinali and I are prepping to present at the 2024 Learning Forward Conference in Denver, Colorado, on December 9th!

Our session will focus on a crucial topic: how public school leaders can support substitute educators, educational assistants, and paraprofessionals in order to preserve full time classroom teacher mental health and create a financially responsible “Grow Your Own” program in your local school district. We know (from experience!) that by intentionally supporting these vital roles, educational leaders can not only save money but also cultivate a pipeline of new teachers from individuals who are passionate about education.

In our presentation, we will explore how empowering substitutes and paraprofessionals contributes to:

✅ Creating a more equitable and safe learning environment for all students.
✅ Preserving the mental health of our full time classroom teachers by ensuring they have the necessary support and can take breaks when they need to.
✅ Developing a sustainable approach to grow our own educators, fostering a community of dedicated professionals.

Join us as we share insights, strategies, and the positive impact that thoughtful support for substitutes and paraprofessionals can have on our schools. We can't wait to connect with fellow educators and leaders at this incredible conference!

🌱✨ A little story about a plant and a classroom adventure! ✨🌱

Recently, I came across a generous offer on my Buy Nothing app from a neighbor in my community. They were giving away a Monstera plant that, sadly, was on the brink of dying. Given that I am solidly in my plant era, as a human being, I bid for the plant and brought it home, hopeful that I could nurse it back health.

As fate would have it, the neighbor giving away the plant turned out to be the mom of one of my sixth-grade science students! This sparked an idea: why not bring the Monstera to school and involve my students in its rehabilitation? After all, what better way to learn about science than through plant care and about responsibility through working together on a project?

Now, our classroom is home to the droopy Monstera, and the students are pretty excited about our new endeavor. We even created a big poster where everyone can share their ideas for naming our new class mascot. The happy plant energy is infectious; students have come up with some truly creative suggestions. But my favorite so far is “Vincent Van GROW.” 👨‍🎨

I’m looking forward to watching both the plant and my students flourish together. Here’s to new beginnings, learning experiences, and a community that shares! 🌿💚

Sunday SubTips!

Last Friday, my current teaching team engaged in a PD day that touched upon Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It served as an inspiring reminder of the significant impact that student choice and voice have in the classroom.

Here are a few examples of how substitutes can effectively incorporate choice and voice into their teaching day. Give these a try - and witness the positive impact they can have on student engagement, challenging behaviors, and learning outcomes!

I’m starting this school year as a long-term sub in a middle school science classroom.

Long term substitutes are essentially full time classroom teachers. They need and deserve the exact same supports and mentoring that first year teachers receive.

Here are some of my favorite 6th grade responses to the question, “What is science?”

🌱 Science is reasrch (sic).
🌱Science is a means of understanding the world around us.
🌱 Science is like magic in real life!
🌱Science is preppy.