Educational Innovations

Over a half century ago, William C. Morse of the University of Michigan keynoted the first research symposium on the Education of Emotionally Disturbed Children. He shared this powerful story from a talented teacher who balanced science with the inspired zeal to do what she thought was needed to help troubled students.

Traditional transition planning focuses on skills for independent living and self support. Research on social and emotional learning suggests the needs to build the capacity in youth for Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity.

BIST is a proactive school-wide behavior management plan for all students, emphasizing schools partnering with students and parents through caring relationships and high expectations. The BIST program is well-grounded in behavioral theory and combines strength-based and resiliency principles within the context of the ecological, person-in-environment model.

Using rewards to impact students’ behavior has long been common practice. However, using reward systems to enhance student learning conveniently masks the larger and admittedly more difficult task of finding and implementing the structure and techniques that children with special needs require to learn.

Whole Schooling, which has been designed totally with regular public school settings and students in mind and is imbued with the values and philosophies of the Circle of Courage, may be just what regular public school administrators are looking for to set up a truly democratic and nurturing school.