What's working:
I run a before and after school program where we are trying to meet the needs behind the misbehavior even as we apply consequences. From 3-6pm children often have a lot of energy without a lot of focus. This sets them up to make some unhelpful choices. Traditionally children receieved some form of time out for any misbehavior in addition to lectures and admonitions. This wasn't working! Now when children start running or can't seem to focus on a self-selected activity, I give them a choice: Run 5 sets of sprints to get their energy out or sit in time out for 5 minutes. The sprints are extremely popular! At the end of 5 sets the child re-enters our classroom and makes a concrete choice like "I'm going to play mancala with Peter" The best part of this is that while I usually have to give sprints to one or two children at a time, when word gets around that kids are sprinting, other kids join in so we have an integrated group of 10 or so sprinters intead of a time out with 2 or more "troublemakers" (not our word for kids, but you get the idea). Kids get their energy out, build relationships with one another, and have an opportunity to refocus to have a better afternoon. This works so much better than Time Out!

What's not working:
Access for all children to high-quality out of school time care and activities!

What's working:
Over the last three years, Robert Service High School has created a transition program for freshman based on the whole child approach known as the Freshman Academy. Our program includes an orientation week, a semester elective based on social and emotional learning curriculum, diversity training, and we offer an afterschool homework help session. These facets of the program combined with the outstanding quality of the faculty involved have helped create boost grades, increase standardized test scores, and improve school climate.

What's working:
I teach in a school that allows me to meet the individual needs of my students. How do I do this? I build trusting relationships with each child. I understand each child's temperament by consulting the Creative Systems' Personality Typology. I focus first on who each child is, then relate and plan accordingly. I believe that successful education starts with who each student is and is supported by what, how, and when.

What's not working:
I am only one of a handful of teachers in the U.S. trained in Creative Systems Theory and the use of its' personality typology. When schools focus on "what" should be taught, they lose perspective about who it is they are planning to educate. Teachers need to understand individual students just as well as subject matter.