Sometimes the most important moments in education are the ones we never planned. It was 8:17 on a Tuesday morning. The classroom was already buzzing. Backpacks dropped. Chairs scraped. Someone couldn't find their pencil. Someone... Continue reading.
Rethinking Bullying Through the Circle of Courage
How relationships, restorative practices, and everyday opportunities for connection can help build schools where every student belongs. Every October, schools across the country come together for National Bullying Prevention Month.... Continue reading.
What If It’s Not a Lack of Motivation?
Rethinking the assumptions we make about young people who aren’t “following through” In Starr Commonwealth’s F.O.C.U.S. Forward program, young people ages 16–24 work toward education, employment, and greater independence while... Continue reading.
The Strength We Find in Giving
Using the Circle of Courage Generosity Map to Help Young People Discover Their Capacity to Contribute, Care, and Make a Difference Every educator has heard some version of it... “I didn’t make that... Continue reading.
The Moment They Stop Looking Back
Using the Circle of Courage Independence Map to Help Young People Find Their Voice, Trust Their Choices, and Take Ownership There’s a moment that happens when you teach a child to ride a bike. At first, they know exactly where... Continue reading.
Mastery Is More Than Getting It Right
Using the Circle of Courage Mastery Map to Help Students Recognize Their Strengths, See Their Growth, and Believe in What Comes Next There is a moment every educator knows. A student looks at something challenging, barely gives it a try, and... Continue reading.
Before They Can Learn, They Need to Know They Belong
A Resource for Using the Circle of Courage to Build Connection, Trust, and Resilience at the Start of the School Year There is a particular kind of energy that lives in a school building at the beginning of the year. Fresh... Continue reading.
Help Your Students Tell Their Story: Free Circle of Courage Maps
The beginning of a school year is about so much more than learning names, establishing routines, and organizing supplies.It’s about getting to know one another. Who are the students walking into your classroom? What are they proud of? Where do... Continue reading.
Our Students Need to Feel Seen. So Do We.
A Back-to-School Reflection and 5 Simple Ways for School Leaders to Help Staff Feel Seen There’s something about the beginning of a school year. The building starts to come alive again. People are catching up in the hallways, classrooms are being... Continue reading.
The One They Remember
There is something about the beginning of a school year that makes everything feel possible. The floors are freshly cleaned. The classroom smells like new crayons and dry-erase markers. Books are waiting to be opened, names are waiting to... Continue reading.
More Than a Fundraiser: Why Night of Starrs Matters
Every child deserves to feel safe. Every family deserves hope. Every community deserves the opportunity to thrive. For more than 113 years, Starr Commonwealth has worked alongside children, families, educators, and communities to build... Continue reading.
Behavior Is Communication: Understanding the Unmet Needs Behind Your Child’s Behavior
If you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a meltdown wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”, this article is for you. First, take a breath. You’re not alone. You’re not failing. And there is nothing “wrong” with your... Continue reading.
Why Staff Wellness Is a Student Outcome Strategy
If you’ve worked in education, you’ve probably experienced it. The kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix. The feeling of carrying dozens—sometimes hundreds—of stories home with you at the end of the day. The weight of worrying... Continue reading.
The Most Powerful Intervention in Education Isn’t a Program
Every educator can remember a student who stayed with them long after the school year ended. Maybe it was the child who rarely spoke but somehow trusted you enough to share their story. Maybe it was the student who spent... Continue reading.
One Framework, Many Names: Why Trauma-Informed Care, PBIS, SEL, and MTSS Belong Together
Walk into almost any school today and you’ll hear conversations about Trauma-Informed Care, PBIS, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Too often, these approaches are discussed as separate... Continue reading.
